Legends of the Streets
by Jes
Summary: Some of the greatest wars in history have taken place on the streets. On the streets, you'll find the strongest fighters and the greatest evils. This is the story of the Street Fighters. *The journey is finished. Please Review.*
1. A Storm is Brewing

Two men walk down a lonely sidewalk at night toward some unknown destination. "Look Eddie, why don't you just tell me where we're going. This isn't another one of your get rich quick schemes is it?"  
  
"Afraid not, Joe. But take a look at this. Two tickets to the tournament in town. Not only that, but there's gonna be a bonus match with none other than Ken Masters!"  
  
"You got tickets to a Ken Masters fight? How did you manage to do that?"  
  
"Oh, I have my ways."  
  
"I hate it when you say that. So who's he fighting?"  
  
"Blanka."  
  
"Blanka? Come on, you don't really believe in that thing do you?"  
  
"It says right here, man. Main Event. Ken Master vs. Blanka."  
  
"Wow. I guess it is real. So isn't he suppose to be some kind of alien or something?"  
  
"Alien? Ha. Are you kidding? Aliens aren't real. He's a monkey man."  
  
  
  
  
Legends of the Streets  
  
  
  
  
Ken Masters stood just outside the curtain, jumping up and down, preparing for his match. He threw a few lightning quick jabs in the air, patiently waiting for the fight to begin. Finally, he heard the crowd go silent and the announcer began to speak. "And his opponent. From San Fransisco, USA.....the US martial arts champion.....KEN MASTEEEEEEEEERS!!!!!!!!  
  
Ken stepped through the curtain and his favorite entrance music, Cowboy by Kid Rock, began playing as he made his way to the ring. The crowd immediately went into an uproar. Their cheering and yelling was always enough to get him pumped up for a fight. Ken was by far the most popular street fighter in America, not just for his skill in the ring, but also for his flashy moves and cocky attitude.  
  
The ring looked like a basic wrestling ring except that the ropes were replaced with barb wire. The arena was nothing more than an abandoned warehouse. Most tournaments took place in remote areas such as this. In fact, few people knew that street fighting, as it came to be called, even existed except for those who participated and the bloodthirsty fans willing to pay to see such events. And then there were the greedy men who held these tournaments. This man in particular looked like your basic, stereotype pimp with his expensive clothes and gold tooth. No one can say for sure how or when street fighting began, but those who knew about it, treated it as if it were a way of life.  
  
Ken hopped onto the apron and did a perfect forward flip into the ring. He noticed a few young girls in the front row waving at him and screaming their lungs out. Ken winked and blew them a kiss. Despite being engaged, he couldn't help flirting with the fans now and then. He turned his head to see Blanka pacing back and forth, impatiently waiting for the match to start. Most fighters would be disturbed by Blanka's unusual appearance, but Ken had learned at an early age to expect the unexpected.  
  
At last, the music faded and crowd began to calm down. The bell rang. Ken danced circles around the ring and waited for Blanka to make the first move. Blanka made a downward strike with his claws. Ken dodjed to the side and kicked him on the side of the knee. He tried another swipe with his claws, but Ken ducked and kicked him again in the same spot. Blanka was obviously getting frustrated and neither man moved for several moments. Then Blanka leaped towards him in, what seemed to be, an attempt to bite him. Ken quickly avoided the attack and kicked him one more time in the knee. This time Blanka's leg buckled completely and he went down to one knee. Ken capitalized on the situation and began punching him several times in the face. The crowd roared in appreciation of this violent combination. Ken then put the exclamation mark on the series of blows by swinging his foot into Blanka's face.  
  
Blanka recovered from the attack faster than he expected and raked his claws across Ken's chest. Ken staggered back a few steps, holding his wound. Blanka then tucked himself into a ball and hurled himself at his opponent with incredible speed. Ken leaped high into the air and was just barely able to miss the attack. As soon as he landed on his feet, he heard him coming back at him from behind. Ken jumped up and did a backflip to see Blanka doing the exact same move again. He ran up behind him as soon as the move was finished and put him in a sleeper hold. Blanka struggled for a moment, but then an electric shock was emitted from his body. Ken yelled in pain as he felt the electrical current burn through his body. He let go of the hold and for a moment his entire body went numb. Blanka turned around and slashed his chest again, bringing him back to his senses. Ken went back several steps and found it difficult to hold his arms up in a defensive position. Blanka hopped forward and gave him a hard front kick that sent his back into the barb wire.  
  
The crowd gasped at the bloody sight. Ken closed his eyes shut and let out a loud grunt. For a moment he could only concentrate on the pain, but then he reminded himself that he still had to win this match. He opened his eyes and saw Blanka flying toward him. He rolled out of the way and Blanka fell on top of the barb wire. Ken pressed Blanka's body further onto the barb wire with one hand while repeatedly nailing him in the kidneys with the other. He then pulled him back by his hair and gave him a knife hand chop to the throat. A normal person would've been knocked out, but Blanka shook it off in a moment and jumped high into the air. Ken watched him fall towards him, waiting for the right moment, and then....  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Ken rose into the air with superhuman speed and his fist wrapped in flames in an uppercut-like attack. His fist scraped across Blanka's chest and then the full force of the blow caught him right under the chin. Several ooohs and aaahs could be heard from the crowd. Ken landed gracefully on his feet as Blanka crashed headfirst into the mat. Ken studied his opponent for a moment. It looked like he wasn't going to get up for a while. "Ladies and Gentleman. Our winner for this evening.....KEN MASTEEEEEEEEERS!!!!!!!!" The crowd went into another frenzy. Ken walked around the ring with his hand raised in its trademark victory sign. As he basked in the fans love for him, a sudden thought came to his mind. It was something he hadn't thought about in years. 'I wonder what Ryu's doing right now.'  
  
***  
  
Our story takes us to a vast desert in China. 12:00 a.m. The area is devoid of any life, and for good reason. The air is extremely hot and dry. It's probably at least 110 degrees. And yet one man braves through these elements. The sun's rays pound down on him from above, and he walks along the hot, rough sand on bare feet. With him, he carries a white duffel bag over his shoulder, which weighs over 20lbs. The dry wind occasionally blows sand into his face and causes his red headband to blow in every which direction. This man is, of course, the legendary warrior Ryu. The Champion of the Street Fighters. The man whose skill is so great that many doubt he even exists. Ryu, however, is very real. Where is he going you ask? To a simple tournament in China. One might wonder why someone would put himself through this kind of torment just to fight in a little tournament. The answer is simple really. He's searching for his destiny.  
  
Ryu is a man who would have probably been better suited to the samurai era than today's civilized world. He believes that by perfecting the martial arts he can reach a higher level of spiritual consciousness. Indeed, fighting is the first physical art that man has created. Ryu saw it as the ultimate balance between mind, body, and soul. Not many could understand his way of thinking, but to him it was all he lived for.  
  
Right now Ryu isn't thinking about his future battles or ways he can improve his techniques as he usually is. Right now he is remembering a single incident that happened to him about a year ago. It isn't something he wants to relive, but at the same time it is something he will never forget.  
  
***Begin flashback***  
  
Ryu walked into a dark, damp cave to see Akuma sitting on the floor with his back turned in deep meditation. The only light in the room were the many candles scattered throughout the cave. The room also contained alot of statues of demons that looked like Akuma.   
  
Akuma slowly stood to his feet. "I've been expecting you, Ryu," he said. "Though I must say, I am surprised to see that you came all this way just to avenge that fool, Gouken."  
  
"He was your brother you monster! How could you just kill him like that?!"  
  
Akuma looked over his shoulder at Ryu. "Easily," he said in a disapointed tone of voice. "Almost too easily." Akuma turned around. "But his death is in the past. Perhaps you shall provide a greater challenge. You are the 'so-called' Street Fighting champion, are you not?"  
  
"That title means nothing to me!" Ryu yelled. "All that matters to me right now is destroying you so that my master may rest in peace!"  
  
"You will be joining him shortly." Akuma went into his fighting stance. Ryu could feel his energy rising to unbelievable levels. "That's enough talking. Our fight begins now! Show me what you've got!"  
  
Ryu immediately launched a hadouken blast at him. Akuma glided across the ground, traveling right through the attack in some translucent form. He materialized right in front of Ryu and punched him hard in the stomach. He then gave him a left hook to the jaw. It felt like a brick slamming into his face. Akuma then put a sidekick into his chest and sent Ryu flying into the wall. He quickly dashed toward Akuma, but he disappeared from sight like a ghost.  
  
Ryu stopped and concentrated, trying to feel Akuma's chi. It was more difficult than normal because it seemed to come from all directions. Finally, he was able to lock onto it. He turned around and threw a punch, but Akuma grabbed it and started crushing his knuckles. Ryu yanked his hand free before he could do too much damage, and spun around to do a sweeping kick. Akuma jumped over his leg and kicked him in the face. Ryu staggered backwards. Akuma walked towards him in a casual manner, practically begging him to attack. Ryu punched him several times in the stomach, but none of the attacks phased him. Akuma punched him twice in the face, once in the stomach, and finished him with a shoryuken attack. Ryu fell to the ground, broken and defeated. Akuma walked toward his fallen body and looked down at him in disgust.  
  
"Strongest fighter in the world, indeed," he said sarcastically. "You are pathetic." He reached down and grabbed Ryu by the throat, picking him up and holding him above the ground with one hand. "For this pitiful display, I will kill you, just like Gouken."  
  
"Shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun"  
  
"Gokuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"  
  
"Satsuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
A horrible amount of evil energy exploded from Akuma's body. An eerie white light covered the entire room. From within this light, hundreds of small blue explosions could be seen where Akuma was striking Ryu with the wrath of a million dead souls. After what seemed like forever, the evil chi faded from the room. Akuma was standing over Ryu's lifeless body. The blood red ten symbol was glowing on his back. Akuma turned around and walked away. He was about to return to his meditation, when he noticed something on the ground. It was a single pebble shaking on the floor. Upon closer inspection he noticed there were many more small rocks doing the same thing. Then he could feel it. Some incredible power......it was coming from Ryu!  
  
Akuma quickly turned around to see Ryu standing to his feet. His muscles were bulging and his veins were clearly visible. His eyes were white, almost glowing. His teeth changed into what appeared to be fangs. Small rocks were floating off the ground and swirling around his body. Ryu lifted his head up and let out a powerful roar. He then stomped his foot on the ground and went into his hadouken stance. Particles of hadou energy began swirling around his body and into his palms. They slowly formed a powerful ball of energy. His hands were shaking, barely able to contain this power.  
  
Akuma decided to test his strength. He cupped his hands together and, within 2 seconds, formed a ball of energy of equal strength to Ryu's. Finally, Ryu thrusted his hands forward, unleashing a large, white beam of energy.  
  
"Raaaah!"  
  
Anticipating Ryu's actions, Akuma threw his own giant, purple beam at almost the same time.  
  
"Hmph!"  
  
The two powers collided with each other, causing both men to slide back a few inches. The ground cracked. The statues broke. The entire island shook, as it was unable to contain such enormous power. Sparks of electricity crackled on each warriors body as they struggled to control their hadou. At last, the energy built to a climax and exploded. Ryu was thrown into the wall, while Akuma stood his ground. The dust cleared. Ryu was slumped against the wall on the brink of unconsciousness. Akuma's shirt and beads had been destroyed by the blast, but he was otherwise unscratched.  
  
Ryu slowly came back to his senses. He climbed to his feet but still needed the wall's support to hold himself up. Akuma looked at him with interest. "You surprise me, Ryu. Perhaps, you shall provide a greater challenge than I expected." Ryu looked up at him, still too light-headed to completely interpret what he was saying. Akuma raised his fist into the air and, with a mighty roar, slammed it into the ground. Rocks fell from the ceiling, and the island began to shake once again. "RYUUUUUUUUU! WE WILL FIGHT AGAIN! PREPARE YOURSELF! SHOW ME YOUR TRUE POWER!"  
  
Ryu covered his face with his arms, unsure what was to happen next. He heard a loud crash. When he opened his eyes the island was gone. He found himself floating in the ocean amongst a bunch of rocks and trees. Akuma was nowhere to be found.  
  
***End flashback***  
  
'What really happened that day,' Ryu thought to himself. 'And what did he mean by "true power".' As much as Ryu hated to think about these things, he couldn't help but think that something very bad was about to happen.  
  
Suddenly, Ryu stopped and wiped his forehead. He was JUST NOW beginning to realize how hot it was. He reached into his duffel bag, pulled out a cantine, and took a long drink. He looked back and saw an endless sea of sand. His footprints seemed to stretch on forever. He looked in front of him and once again saw desert as far as he could see. 'Looks like I still got quite a ways to go,' he thought. 'Oh well. I enjoy the challenge.' Ryu put his cantine back and resumed his walking. Little does he know that not all is as normal as it may seem. A storm is brewing beyond the horizon. One that may change Ryu's life forever.  
  
***  
  
Ken was driving back home in his red convertible at night. He wanted to celebrate his victory with some of the other street fighters, but because of Blanka's claws he had to go to the doctor to get bandaged up. Luckily, the guy running the tournament had a doctor set up just in case, so Ken didn't have to explain the claw marks on his chest or the barb wire cuts on his back. He didn't always have that luxury. He smiled to himself as he thought of some of the crazy lies he told doctors in the past.  
  
It was extremely late at night. The doctor's work seemed to take hours. Ken didn't even bother changing out of his red karate gi. He found it difficult to stay awake, despite having the radio turned up full blast. Right now all he wanted to do was go home. After spending many hours on the road, he finally pulled up to his giant mansion. The money he'd won from his tournaments, along with a little help from his rich parents, was enough to pay for this home. Here he had everything he needed, from a gym, to a large swimming pool, and even an exact replica of master Gouken's dojo. Ken hopped out of the car and walked up to the front door. 'Eliza's probably already asleep,' he thought.  
  
He went inside and quietly walked up the stairs to the bedroom. Sure enough, Eliza was already in bed, sound asleep. Ken took off the top of his gi and slowly slipped into bed, hoping not to wake her up. He was unsuccessful. Eliza rolled over and looked at him with sleepy eyes. "Oh, Ken. Where have been?"  
  
"Sorry, babe. The fight was a little tougher than I expected."  
  
Eliza put her arm around his chest. "I've been worried about you." She suddenly sat up and pointed at his bandages. "What is that?!"  
  
"Oh, uh, just a couple of cuts. Nothing to worry about."  
  
"What did the guy have a knife?"  
  
"No, uh, claws."  
  
"Claws?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Eliza laid back down and thought to herself for a moment. "Ken, when are you going to stop this?" she asked.  
  
"The day that I die," Ken replied, too tired to think of something better.  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of. Everynight you come home later and later, and I don't know whether you're alive or dead. Why don't you just retire now? We already have enough money to support ourselves the rest of our lives, even if we have kids."  
  
"I'm sorry Eliza, but it's not just about the money."  
  
"How about after we're married. You go fight in the biggest tournaments in the world from now until we're married and then quit. Can you please do that for me?"  
  
"You know I love you, Eliza, but I just don't think I can make that promise. You see, everyone has something they do in life. I fight. It's what I do. It's hard to explain, but there's nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you have in a fight. I don't mean a cat fight or a bar fight, but a real fight. I can't really explain it to you, because you've never had that experience."  
  
"I'm just worried about you. That's all."  
  
"Don't be. You know I can take care of myself."  
  
"Okay," she said in an unsure tone of voice.  
  
***  
  
Ryu stood in the middle of the sand pit that served as the ring for this tournament. The only thing that separated the fighters from the crowd, was a piece of rope made in a circle around the sand. Ryu had easily advanced through the tournament, beating up some local favorites along the way. He was being booed mercilessly. Apparently, fans didn't realize that this was THE Ryu.  
  
Suddenly, the crowd began to cheer. Dan Hibiki rolled through the crowd and into the ring. Then he got up on one knee made a classic pose for his fans. The people cheered and cameras flashed. Sure, Dan didn't have the greatest win/loss record in the world, but the fans still loved him because he was entertaining and always put on a good show.  
  
Dan got up and pointed at Ryu. "Hey what's with the karate outfit? You tryin to copy me, punk? You should know that I am the one-and-only Dan Hibiki! Forever imitated but never duplicated! And know I'm gonna have to kick your sorry- Hey, Ryu is that you?"  
  
"Long time no see, buddy."  
  
"You tellin me. So what've you been up to all this time?"  
  
"How about we fight now and catch up later?" Ryu said while getting into his fighting stance.  
  
"Fine with me." Dan went in to his fighting stance which looked like another pose. He jumped toward Ryu with a flying kick, while making a loud screeching sound that was probably meant to sound like a Bruce Lee cry. Ryu forcefully blocked the kick and punched him in the chest while he was still in midair. Dan fell to the ground. He quickly jumped to his feet and ran toward Ryu, unleashing a long series of punching attacks. Ryu easily dodjed each of the attacks. Dan then tried to catch him by surprise with a spinning kick. Ryu ducked and punched him in the stomach. He punched him several more times in strategic areas and then jumped high into the air and swung his back leg into Dan's face. Dan went tumbling to the ground again. Ryu shuffled his feet closer to him. Dan slowly stood up. "That's it! You asked for it!" he yelled. Dan reached his arm back, and particles of energy began flowing into his hand.  
  
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaa"  
  
"Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"  
  
"Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Dan thrusted his arm forward and launched a powerful blast of energy that........dissolved almost as soon as it left his hand. If you blinked, you would've missed. Ryu waited to see if anything else was going to happen, but then realized that the move was already finished. He knocked Dan's hand out of the way. Then he leaped into the air, spun around, and kicked him hard across the face. He spun several more times with his leg outstretched as Dan fell to the ground, and landed on his feet. The battle was over. The crowd was completely shocked. Then slowly, they began to clap and cheer until they were nearly at a riot. But one of these people in the front row stood completely still. He wasn't really human, but was more of a machine. His purpose was to record the events happening here, and send them to an incredibly evil man.  
  
***  
  
Bison sat in front of a large computer screen while closely observing the fight between Ryu and Dan. Beside him, was Sagat, wearing camouflage pants and military boots. His arms were crossed as he watched just as closely as Bison. "This is him?" Bison asked in a disinterested tone when the fight was over.  
  
"Yes sir," Sagat replied hatefully.  
  
Bison pointed to the scar on his chest. "And he's the one who did that?"  
  
"Yes sir. He did it with some sort of uppercut attack."  
  
Bison turned back to the computer screen and sat silent for a moment. "I see nothing special about him."  
  
"That is because his opponent did not offer him enough of a challenge sir. Had he fought a stronger fighter, you would see just how powerful he is."  
  
"Hmmm. Well he seems like nothing more than a pitiful insect to me. But if he was able to beat you in a fair fight and do THAT with his fist, then he may be worth looking into," Bison said, implying that he may be interested in more than helping Sagat obtain his revenge. "Since he seems to enjoy going to these tournaments so much, we'll have one set up near his current location, and send Balrog to test him out."  
  
"What about me sir?" Sagat asked.  
  
Bison smiled. He was amused by his henchman's sudden obsession with this man. "Don't worry, Sagat. If this ....Ryu is as strong as you say, then he should make short work out of Balrog. You'll get your chance for revenge."  
  
An elderly man wearing a lab coat walked into the room. "Lord Bison, Vega has brought us another test subject. I think you'll be quite impressed with this one."  
  
Bison rotated his chair around and got up to walk into the lab. Sagat followed him a few short steps. "Lord Bison, please!"  
  
"That's enough, Sagat! In case you haven't noticed, I'm a busy man! If this person you're so obsessed with cannot beat Balrog and impress me at the same time, then I will not waste my time with him! Do you dare question my decision?!"  
  
"N...no sir."  
  
"Good. Then I have other matters to attend to. You are dismissed."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
  
Author's notes: Well what do think so far? In case you haven't noticed yet, what I'm trying to go for with this fic is to show what I think the street fighters would be like if they were real people. I'm also trying to due away with the ridiculous stereotype that Ryu has no personality. And don't think that these are the only characters that are going to be in this story. By the time I'm finished I'm gonna try to have most of the fighters make an appearance, which should be quite a challenge. Oh, and before I forget, all characters are property of Capcom. The most they could sue me for is 15 dollars anyway.-_- This is gonna be a long one now, so I'm gonna need plenty of reviews to keep me motivated. Jes has spoken. 


	2. Unlimited Potential

Unlimited Potential  
  
  
Bison walked into the large lab, followed closely by his leading scientist. In the center of the room, was a small blonde haired girl strapped to a large, round mechanism.(similar to the torture machine used in Metal Gear Solid) Next to her, was Vega dressed in his fighting outfit except for the mask. Bison watched with demonic glee as the young girl struggled against her bondages. "Let me go! What do you want with me?! My parents don't have any money! Please, let me go!"  
  
"Mmmm, this one's got spirit," Bison said, ignoring the girl's plees. "I believe you've out done yourself, Vega. I knew you'd be perfect for this kind of mission."  
  
"I suppose we both have the same taste in women, don't we Lord Bison?" Vega said with an insane grin on his face.  
  
"It would seem so," Bison said. He frowned as he noticed a small scar on her face. He reached his hand to touch it, but she pulled away. "What is this?" he asked.  
  
Vega bowed his head down. "I did it. Please, forgive me sir, but she struggled and it had to be done."  
  
Bison touched the scar and stroked it with his thumb. He smiled again. "Don't trouble yourself, Vega. I think it adds to her charm." Bison put his hand down and looked at Vega. "Your mission is complete. You may return to Spain until I need you again."  
  
Vega closed his eyes and nodded his head. "Thank you sir." He then grabbed the girl's face and bent down close to her. "Goodbye, my pretty little flower." She spit in his face, but he simply wiped it off and licked it off his fingers. Then he turned around and walked out of the room, laughing all the way.  
  
Bison turned his attention back to the girl and smiled. "What is your name, child?"  
  
"I'm not telling you anything! You're not going to get away with this!"  
  
Bison reached up and ripped one of her sleaves off. "If want to play games, then we'll play games!" His hand began to glow with a strange, blue light. He grabbed her arm, causing her to let out a blood chilling shriek. It was like a hot iron against her skin. "Now what is your name!!!"  
  
"Aaaaaah.......nooooooo.....C....Cammy.....Cammy White.....P-please stop.....aaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Bison let her go and smiled, proudly. He knew full well that he had other means of obtaining her name. He just wanted to watch her suffer. The girl rested her head down and passed out from the pain. Bison's scientist stepped forward. "Seeing as how you've dismissed Vega, can I guess that you've...."  
  
"Yes, Zoltar," Bison interrupted. "I've chosen this one. She has that certain attitude that I like, and she was enough to force Vega into doing bodily harm. Plus she's my type."  
  
"We've been able to genetically enhance these girls and control their minds in the past. But actually transplanting your own DNA into one will be truly revolutionary. I cannot express how proud I am to be a part of this experiment Lord Bison."  
  
Bison walked to another part of the lab where several viles were standing on a table. He picked one up containing blood and twirled it in his fingers. Zoltar began to speak once again. "Of course, I cannot guarantee that the experiment will work. Even if she survives, she may not be under your full control, or even fully contract your DNA for that matter."  
  
"If she dies, then you will go with her," he stated bluntly. "I will not tolerate failure. Do you have any idea how important this is? If we are successful, then I will be able to create an entire army of perfect super soldiers. I will be able to conquer the world's governments and Shadowloo will rule over all!"  
  
"After all these centuries, my dream will finally be realized," he whispered.   
  
***  
  
Ryu and Dan were standing on the sidewalk just outside the arena. It was well after the tournament, and most of the fans and other fighters had already left. "So what've you been up to, man?" Dan asked. "No one's heard from you since you won the title from Sagat. It's like you dropped off the planet."  
  
"Oh you know me. I've been off training and fighting. That kind of stuff."  
  
"People talk like you're some kind of mythological fighter. Most of them think I'm crazy when I tell them that I knew you as a kid."  
  
"I think you're crazy anyway," he said jokingly. "Besides, let them say what they want. None of that really matters to me."  
  
"So how's Ken been doing? It's been forever since I've seen him."  
  
"To be honest, I don't really know. I haven't seen him since Gouken died."  
  
"Gouken's dead! But how?!"  
  
"He was killed. By his brother."  
  
"You mean Akuma?"  
  
"Yeah. I tried to avenge him once, but.....I wasn't strong enough." *SHOW ME YOUR TRUE POWER!* "Huh?!"  
  
"Hey are you okay?"  
  
"Um, yeah. I'm fine." Ryu picked up his duffel bag and threw it over his shoulder. "Look I've got to get going. It's been nice talking to you."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
Ryu was already walking away. "Don't know. Guess I'll see when I get there."  
  
Dan watched Ryu walking away and felt helpless to do anything to stop him. He decided to just let him go. "See ya later, man! Maybe next time we meet, I can teach you some of my moves!"  
  
"No thanks!" Ryu called back. 'What was that? Was that a voice in my head or just my imagination?'  
  
After walking some distance, Ryu heard some strange noises from a nearby alley. They sounded like female screams along with a bunch of laughing. Ryu looked in the alley and saw a group of thugs messing with, what looked like, a Japanese schoolgirl with short, brown hair. One of the muscleheads pushed her down and spread her legs, while the others looked on with interest. Ryu dropped his bag.  
  
"Hadouken!"  
  
The thug was blasted to the ground. Before the others could react, Ryu leaped into the air and kicked another one across the face. One of them tried to attack him, but Ryu elbowed him in the stomach. Then he jumped up, spun around, and kicked him away. Then one grabbed him from behind and tried push him down. Ryu used his own momentum against him and threw him to the ground. He then stomped on his chest. Another man came at him, swinging a knife. Ryu dodjed his swipes as if he anticipated them ahead of time. Then he kicked the knife out of his hand and kicked him in the neck with the same foot. The man staggered against the wall, holding his throat. Ryu rushed towards him with a series of violent punches until the man bent over. Then Ryu elbowed him in the back of the head, sending him to the ground. The first thug slowly stood up, steaming from Ryu's hadouken blast, and raised a gun to his head. "Watch out!" the girl yelled.  
  
Ryu turned as the man fired the gun. At the last second, he caught the bullet between his fingers. He threw it to the ground as the man watched in shock. The thug then dropped the gun and ran away, screaming his lungs out. The girl watched him in awe until he offered to help her up. "Are you okay?"  
  
She took his hand and stood up. "Uh, yeah. Thank you so much. My name's Sakura."  
  
"Mine's Ryu. You're Japanese aren't you? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to see the tournament, but I got lost. Hey, you're really good."  
  
"So I've heard. Where are your parents at?"  
  
Sakura looked at the ground shyly. "Well, they don't know I'm here."  
  
"Oh. I see." Ryu picked up his bag. "I gotta go."  
  
"Wait. Can you show me how to fight like that?  
  
"Sorry, but I'm still training myself. Bye." Ryu turned the corner and walked away. Sakura tried to follow him, but he was already gone.  
  
***  
  
Guile sent yet another hard, right hand to the face of his opponent. Dee Jay staggered into the chain link fence. It was blatantly obvious that Guile could've finished him off a long time ago, but it seemed he wanted to work out some of his aggression. Guile's comrades, though not necesarily friends, cheered on the bloody battle. Both men circled each other for a moment, until Dee Jay threw a round kick to the chest. Guile caught the attack under his armpit and sweeped him onto the ground. He then proceeded to twist Dee Jay's ankle until it made a loud cracking sound, causing him to scream in pain. Guile dropped his leg and took a deep breath. Then he turned around and walked toward his sleeping quarters, ignoring the cheers and Dee Jay's cries for help.  
  
When he got inside, he walked over to his sink and washed the blood off his hands. He just got done fighting an hour long match that could've been over in five minutes. For some reason, he felt more pissed off today than he normally did. When he was finally finished, sat down on his mattress and started to think. 'It's been months since I've gotten any leads on Shadowlaw. If I don't find that bastard soon, I'm gonna go crazy.' Guile pulled his dog tags off his neck and stared at them. One of the tags had his name on it. The other was that of Charlie Nash. Then he began to reminisce.  
  
***Begin flashback***  
  
Guile and Charlie stood in the middle of an arena, surrounded by a huge cage. Outside the cage were hundreds of bloodthirsty members of Shadowlaw, as it was commonly called in the western part of the world. Each one of them had some kind of weird hairstyle, piercings, or tatoos. None of them seemed normal. At one part of the room was Bison standing on a balcony high above the others, along with Sagat and Vega. Vega was dressed in an expensive purple suit. The crowd fell silent as Bison began to speak.  
  
"Fellow members of Shadowloo. Standing before you are two worthless maggots who thought that they could stand against our might with their false truths and fairy tale justices. Now these two "friends" shall do battle with one another for our own entertainment. The winner will receive a very special prize. Enjoy the show, and let the fight begin!"  
  
"What do we do, now?" Guile asked his partner.  
  
"If we don't fight, he'll kill both of us. We don't have a choice." Neither of them were in any shape for a real fight. Their bodies were already bloody and bruised from the weeks of torture and starvation they had received earlier. The two circled each other, waiting for an opening. Guile threw the first punch. The more experienced fighter blocked the attack and hit Guile in the stomach. Then he hit him in the temple with his forearm. Guile stumbled backwards. Charlie hopped forward and threw a kick. Guile grabbed his foot and sweeped his other leg. Then sat on his stomach and started punching him in the face. Charlie caught one of his punches and rolled him over, pinning him to the floor. Then he put his forearm over his throat and started choking him. Guile struggled for a moment, but couldn't find a way out. He tapped Charlie's arm, signaling that he was giving up.  
  
Charlie stood up and looked at Bison. Bison shook his head no. Charlie looked back at Guile, who was sitting up and rubbing his throat. Bison was laughing and signaling for the match to continue. Charlie ran toward Guile and forced him up to his knees by the hair. He then slammed his knee into Guile's face. These shots to the head continued for several minutes until Guile's body went completely limp. Charlie let him go and watched him fall face first on the floor.  
  
Charlie was struggling to catch his breath. Bison stood up and suddenly disappeared from the balcony. Charlie quickly turned around and saw Bison standing behind him. "Congratulations. For your victory, you shall receive a one-way ticket to hell." Charlie threw a punch at him, but Bison easily caught it. In one fluid motion, Bison broke his wrist, causing a loud snap to echo throughout the arena. He then kicked him in the face, sending him on his back. Bison grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the floor.  
  
Guile lifted his head up and watched. Bison's hand started glowing blue and sparks of electricity ran over Charlie's body. His limbs spasmed in every direction. His entire body convulsed violently. Bison stopped for a moment just to tease him. Charlie's breathing was rapidly increasing. Bison then initiated his Psycho Power again, causing Charlie to scream and convulse. Charlie's deafening screams echoed over the entire building. Then he started puking blood like a fountain until he went limp.  
  
Guile watched with wide eyes as these things took place. Bison dropped Charlie's body on the floor. He lay motionless for several moments. Guile was half-way expecting Charlie to stand up. Take a breath. Move his hand. Anything. But deep inside, he knew the horrible truth. His best friend was dead. The crowd was cheering and clapping like cavemen. Bison was standing over Charlie's body, smiling and laughing. His best friend since kindergarten was dead. This couldn't be real. This had to be some kind of nightmare. Guile wanted to wake up. He wanted to see that this was all just a figment of his imagination. But it wasn't. It was all real.  
  
Bison ripped Charie's dog tag off his neck and threw it at Guile. Guile clutched it in his hand while still watching Charlie for some sign of life. The cage began to lift. "Take him away!" Bison yelled.  
  
Two men walked in and grabbed Guile's arms. They dragged him out of the cage while he still had a death grip on Charlie's dog tag. "Charlie! Charlie, get up! What did you do to him you son of a bitch!? Charlie! Charlieeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
1 week later  
  
Guile had escaped from his jungle prison. He was running as fast as he could through the swampy area. Finally, he couldn't run anymore. He fell down to his knees and looked at Charlie's dog tag. "Charlie. This is not the end. I will not rest until I see that man dead! I'm gonna make him pay for what he did to us. I won't let him hurt anyone else the way he hurt you.....the way he hurt me."  
  
***End flashback***  
  
That is Guile's story. Considering all he has been through, it is a wonder he hasn't gone insane. And yet, in a way perhaps he has. He has trained and fought nonstop since that time. He's pushed away anyone who's ever tried to get close to him. As he said, he will not rest until Bison is dead. His chance for revenge will come sooner than he expects.  
  
***  
  
Chun Li stood in the ring waiting for her final opponent. She'd been sent here by Interpol to investigate a tournament held by Shadowloo in Hong Kong. So far her investigation was a total bust. She'd easily advanced to the finals and didn't see any members of Shadowloo. She never really enjoyed fighting in these tournaments, but she was willing to do it if it got her closer to Bison.  
  
The crowd started cheering and Ryu made his way to the ring. His entrance wasn't as flashy as most of Chun Li's other opponents. He stepped through the ropes, adjusted his gloves, and immediately went into his fighting stance. He stood completely still as he waited for Chun Li to make the first move.  
  
Chun Li dashed toward him, spun around, and tried to sweep him. Ryu hopped backwards, avoiding the attack. As he landed, Chun Li began attacking him with a long series of lightning fast, open-handed strikes. Ryu fluidly blocked and dodjed all of the attacks. Then, out of nowhere, he spun behind her and kicked her in the back. Chun Li turned around before he could form any advantage. Ryu once again stood as still as a statue, waiting for an attack. Chun Li ran toward him and, at the right moment went into a handstand, spun around and kicked with both legs. She then stood and burst into a combination of blindingly fast kicks. Once again, Ryu blocked each one with expert precision. Most people wouldn't even be able to see the attacks come at them. Ryu then knocked one of her kicks out of the way and backfisted her with the same hand.  
  
'Well at least he doesn't discriminate against women,' she thought painfully. She could see Ryu coming at her to attack. 'This my chance,' she thought. She cupped her hands together. Then she threw them forward and shot forth a blue ball of energy at incredible speed. Ryu was caught off guard and the ball nailed him in the chest. He backed up a few steps and shook off the pain. Chun Li was shocked. Most people would've been knocked out by that attack, but he didn't even fall over. Ryu saw her surprise and used it to his advantage. He leaped toward her and swung his back leg into her face. Then he spun around and kicked her with his other leg. Finally, he finished this combination with an axe kick while still in midair. Chun Li fell face first to the floor. A man outside raised a white flag, signaling the end of the match.  
  
Chun Li sat up and stared at him. It had been years since she lost a fight, and even longer since someone made it look easy. 'Could he be a member of Shadowloo?' Some how her instincts told her otherwise. He seemed too....in control of his emotions to be a member of Shadowloo. Still, she wanted to follow him just in case.  
  
***  
  
Ryu walked through an empty, indoor parking lot as he made his way out of the arena. Suddenly he was stopped by a voice. "Hey you!" Ryu turned his head to see a large, American man with his fists wrapped leaning against a support beam. "Is your name Ryu?"  
  
"Yeah why?"  
  
The man walked forward a couple of steps. "Nothing personal, but I'm gonna have to kick your ass."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Balrog smacked his fists together and lifted them to his head. "Let's make this quick. I've got a party to attend to."  
  
Ryu dropped his bag and made a defensive position. "I don't know what you want with me, but if you want to fight, I'll be happy to do so."  
  
Bison was watching their confrontation on his big computer screen. He had one of his cyborgs in place, where Ryu couldn't see it. "Now we'll see if you're as good as Sagat says. Let the battle begin!"  
  
Balrog dashed towards him and began throwing one punch after another. Ryu blocked them the best he could. The attacks were powerful enough to bruise his arms, and a few even knocked him off balance. Then Balrog knocked his arms out of the way with a left hook and busted Ryu's lip with a right straight. Ryu stumbled backwards, and before he knew it, Balrog was on him again. Another long series of punches began. Ryu blocked one of his punches, but was still knocked several feet back into a support beam. He barely managed to duck another punch, and Balrog smashed the support beam to pieces. Before Ryu could take advantage, Balrog started punching again. Out of desperation, Ryu ran at him and tackled him against an empty car. Then he started hitting him in the stomach. Balrog gave him a hard headbutt, knocking him away. He punched him in the stomach, followed by a left hook to the jaw. Finally, he finished with a right uppercut that sent Ryu flying 20ft. through the air.  
  
"Beautiful! Just like glass breaking!" Bison yelled, refering to the sound of Balrog's fist against Ryu's jaw.  
  
Unknown to either man, was that Chun Li had snuck in and hid behind a car. 'Balrog! I guess he's not a member of Shadowloo after all.'  
  
Ryu sat up on one knee and observed his opponent. 'Damn, he's good! He's got alot of power, but he seems to lack any actual skill. I have to use that to my advantage.'  
  
Ryu stood up and beckoned him forward with his hand. As expected, Balrog ran forward to punch him. Ryu ducked the punch and ran behind him. Then he kicked him in the back of the knee. Balrog turned around with a left hook, but Ryu ducked and hit him in the stomach. He then jumped in the air and kicked him in the chin. Balrog staggered back. During this moment of vulnerability, Ryu ran toward him and gave him a flying kick to the face.  
  
Bison squinted his white, pupiless eyes with interest as he watched Ryu gain the upperhand in the fight.  
  
Ryu punched him several times in the stomach and then once in the nose. Balrog stumbled around dizzily for a moment, before punching himself a few times and coming back to his senses. He ran toward Ryu and threw a right straight. Ryu ducked the attack and gave him a knee to the groin. Then he stabbed his fingers into his throat. As Balrog staggered backwards, Ryu squatted down and cupped his hands by his side. Particles of chi gathered into his palms and formed a ball of energy.  
  
"Hadouken!"  
  
Ryu threw the ball of hadou at him. The blast hit Balrog and sent him crashing into the opposite wall. Bison stood up from his chair. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Balrog slowly stood up. His shirt had been blown off and smoke rose from his body. He stumbled toward Ryu with a far away look in his eye and his fists still by his head. Ryu punched him three times in the stomach, then rocketed 20ft. into the air with a Dragon Punch to the jaw.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Balrog crashed into the hard concrete. He was knocked out cold. 'Amazing,' Chun Li thought. 'He beat Balrog. Who is that guy?' Ryu was gasping for air. He quickly looked in Chun Li's direction. She ducked back behind the car. Ryu grabbed his bag and walked out of the parking lot.  
  
Bison closely watched the computer screen. "Un....believable. Zoltar!" he yelled.  
  
Zoltar walked into the room. "Yes Lord Bison."  
  
Bison pointed at the screen. "This man. His name is Ryu. Find as much information as you can about him now!"  
  
"Right away Lord Bison." Zoltar bowed and exited the room.  
  
Bison still stared in disbelief at Ryu's image on the screen. It wasn't the attack itself that impressed him. But when Ryu released the attack, Bison felt something from him. It was a power unlike any other. A power that had unlimited potential, that if shaped correctly, was limited only by the user's imagination. "No wonder he could beat Sagat. Such....incredible power. I must have it."  
  
  
Notes of the Author: In case your interested, I got the name Zoltar from Bison's little stooge in the Street Fighter V series. I know he more closely resembles the scientist in the movie, but I can't remember that guy's name and I lost the tape. Oh well, it's just a minor thing anyway. These first few chapters have mostly been to set the mood of the story. It should start to pick up after this. Don't forget to send a review. Jes has spoken. 


	3. Eye of the Tiger

Eye of the Tiger  
  
Sagat stood alone in his gym as he casually threw punches at a heavy punching bag. Every time he hit the bag, it sprayed dust into the air. Sagat had bought this gym for himself several years ago. Anyone who entered it while he was there had may as well make funeral arrangements. He always wanted to be alone while he trained.  
  
Sagat was, without a doubt, one of the best fighters in the world. There a was time when he was considered the best, period. Of course, Thailand still thought he was the greatest, but that wasn't enough for Sagat. He wanted the whole world to know that he was the strongest warrior of all. He began to remember instances of his life that had help shape him into the person that he was.  
  
***Begin flashback***  
  
A seven year old Sagat stood in his school yard surrounded by a gang of kids twice his size. These bullies had made a hobby out of just beating people up, especially those smaller than them. Sagat was their latest victim. He was already bloody and bruised from the beating they had inflicted. "C'mon you wimp!" yelled the biggest one, who was apparently their leader. "Fight back!" He grabbed the collar of Sagat's shirt and started shaking him.  
  
"Please stop!"  
  
"Shut up!" The boy punched him hard in the eye. Sagat let out a loud scream. "Oh, you like that, huh?" He continued hitting him in the eye over and over until a teacher rushed in and broke it up.  
  
***End flashback***  
  
'My eye was never quite the same after that. Those damn kids made fun of me for it. I lost all my friends. It was at that time that I realized that the world was a cold, hateful place that didn't care about me. No child so young should ever have to learn that fact.'  
  
'My parents suggested that I go to a Muy Thai school so I could protect myself from bullies like them. At first I wasn't so sure, but when I tried it, it was love at first sight. I found it to be the perfect outlet for all my anger and frustration. Every day after school I would go to train and stay there until I had to go home and sleep. I lost interest in all the things I used to care about. I didn't have any friends to do those things with anyway.'  
  
'It eventually got to the point that my teacher had nothing left to teach me. He knew that kickboxing wouldn't be enough of a challenge for me, so at age fifteen he started sending me to Street Fighting tournaments. I tore through the competition. No one could even stand a chance against me. Within days, I was earning a reputation, and within weeks I earned the right to face the champion. I crushed that man easily. I have trouble remembering exactly who that man was. Gouken?.....or maybe his name was Gen. Oh well. Names are unimportant. The point is, I beat him and became the youngest Street Fighting champion ever. I continued to destroy all who opposed me. It was a few years before I faced my first real challenge.'  
  
***Begin flashback***  
  
Sagat stepped through the curtain wearing a long, elegant robe. The Thai crowd jumped to their feet and screamed. Sagat stepped into the kickboxing ring and threw the robe to his fans. The man across from him was sitting in the corner wearing a green karate gi and a tengu mask. Although Sagat didn't know it yet, this man was Go Hibiki, a legendary fighter. He stood to his feet and threw away the mask.  
  
Both men walked towards each other in their fighting stances. Go threw two punches to the head followed by a kick. Sagat easily blocked the attacks and countered with a punch. Go stumbled back. He rushed forward and threw three punches to Sagat's stomach and kicked him in the leg. Sagat absorbed these attacks undamaged, and swung his huge leg into Go's head. Go barely managed to stay on his feet. He squatted down and prepared one of his special attacks.  
  
"Hadouken!"  
  
The ball of energy flew at Sagat's chest. He lowered his guard to block the attack. While his defense was down, Go leaped toward him and punched him in his bad eye. Sagat let out a loud grunt and staggered back holding his injury. Go's eyes lit up as he realized Sagat's weakness. He jumped in the air and threw a roundhouse kick at his eye. Sagat raised his hands and blocked it. Go fired one attack after the other, all directed at Sagat's eye. Sagat stumbled around like a fool as he blocked Go's horrible onslaught. The crowd booed. Everyone knew that Sagat would lose if he continued this defensive strategy, including Sagat himself. But he didn't want to lose what was left of his eye.  
  
He knew he was going to lose. Like a dying man, his life flashed before him. He remembered the day when he was beaten by that gang of bullies. The ridicule he received afterwards. He remembered the hate he felt toward life and everyone in it. The training. The blood. The sweat. The sacrifice. The pain. Was all that going end just because of this one man?  
  
'No! I will not lose! I'll never lose! I am the greatest in the world!' Sagat saw Go flying at him, preparing to hit him in the eye with his knee. At the last second, Sagat lowered his guard aimed a punch at Go's neck. Both connected at the exact same time. Go stumbled to the ground holding his throat. Sagat yelled in pain as blood poured out of his eye socket. He saw Go squirm and twitch on the ground and decided to do more damage. He lifted him off the floor by his hair and slammed his face into his gigantic knee. He continued doing this relentlessly. The crowd was going mad with excitement. Sagat joyfully felt the bones in Go's face shattering against his leg. Finally, Sagat put him on the floor and let his face rest in the palm of his hand. Sagat felt the crushed bones, the blood flowing between his fingers. He lifted his face to the heavens and opened his eye. The iris and the pupil were completely white. He listened to the fans. Yes. They could feel it. He was without a doubt the strongest fighter in the world.  
  
***End flashback***  
  
Sagat stopped punching and lifted his hand to his eye patch. 'I knew that I would have to give up my eye if I were to win that match. But that was a sacrifice I was willing to make. Since then, all that has ever mattered to me, is winning and being the best. I continued to go undefeated for several years. I broke another record by holding the title longer than anyone else. With every match, every punch, every drop of blood that I spilled, my legend grew. At some point during this time, I was approached by Bison. Shadowloo was still very young at the time. Having the world champion at his side had certain advantages. In exchange for my cooperation, he promised more money and more exposure. Money was about as useful to me as dirt, but exposure was a different story. I wanted the whole world to know that I was the strongest fighter in the world. It seemed as if I would be champion forever.'  
  
'But then Ryu came. Out of nowhere, he took my title from me. It seemed like just another fight.' Sagat looked down and stroked the scar on his chest. It was the bane of his existence, the eternal reminder of his defeat. 'After all the pain and suffering I've gone through, I should be the champion. I've sacrificed friends and parts of my body for the sake of being the best. I even sold my soul to Bison. What has he sacrificed? What pain has he had to endure?!'  
  
Sagat slammed his foot into the bag, sending it flying into the wall. He turned around and saw a wooden dummy. He imagined Ryu's image on it and launched a Tiger Shot. The attack sliced the dummy's head off and exploded against the wall. "I will not die.....until I see Ryu's body broken at my feet, and I am the champion once again!"  
  
But there is one more thing troubling Sagat. He would not openly admit it, even to himself, but deep inside he knows it is true. Bison is also more powerful than he is.  
  
***  
  
Chun Li stood in her boss's office in a business suit while he overlooked the information she gathered on her investigation. Of particular interest was a picture of Ryu lying on his desk. "You say you saw this man being attacked by a member of Shadowloo after the tournament?" he asked as more of a confirmation than a question.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Hmm. I have a theory of what they might be planning. You know about the man who beat Sagat don't you?"  
  
"Of course. It's almost impossible for a Street Fighter to not know."  
  
"Wasn't his name also Ryu?"  
  
"Yes. Wait...you're not implying that this is the same man are you?!" Her boss merely nodded his head. This was quite a shock for Chun Li. For a Street Fighter, seeing Ryu was almost like having a near-death experience. "But what do they want with him? Do you think Sagat's trying to get his title back?"  
  
"I don't think so. If that were the case, I think they would have sent him in the first place. As you know, Shadowloo has recently been kidnapping Steet Fighters and forcing them into serving their cause with some kind of brainwash."  
  
"And you think Ryu is their latest victim?"  
  
"Exactly. What I want you to do is find him and make sure this doesn't happen. Ryu is an extremely skilled fighter. If he gets in Shadowloo's hands, it could mean serious trouble. He seems to be quite elusive because of his constant traveling, but I'm sure you'll be able to track him down."  
  
"I'll get on it right away."  
  
***  
  
Ryu's current battle takes place under a bridge surrounded by thugs and gang members. Both him and Guy are exhausted from the long fight they've been having. Ryu throws a lightning quick jab at him. Guy dodjes it in a blur and sends a knee to his stomach. Ryu recovered quickly and punched him in the face. Guy backed away before he could follow the attack. Both stood still for a moment until Guy dashed toward him with unhuman speed. He leaped toward him and aimed a kick at his face. Just before the attack connected, Ryu launched a hadou blast at his chest.  
  
"Hadouken!"  
  
Guy fell to the ground. The crowd hollered and whistled at the devastation of the attack. Ryu watched to see if his opponent was going to get up. He didn't. Ryu picked up his bag and walked away. He was still a little confused about the fight he had with the American boxer a few days ago. It was the toughest fight he had in while. Ryu had become quite famous these past few years. He wanted to believe that maybe that man was just trying to make a name for himself. But somehow, he had a gut feeling that it went deeper than that.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind him. "It was an honor to fight with you sir. I've traveled a long distance for this battle."  
  
Ryu turned to face Guy. "You know who I am?" he asked surprisingly.  
  
"Of course. You've had some legendary fights in the past. But your greatest battles are still to come. So tell me, have you seen her yet?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"I'll take that as a no. Man. It sure is exciting to meet the future savior of the world. Well, maybe I shouldn't say that. Afterall, no one can truly predict the future."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?!"  
  
"Please, don't think too much of what I said. Trust me. Tomorrow it will be as if I never existed." With that, Guy disappeared in a blur, leaving Ryu to decipher a very cryptic message. Ryu continued his walking. First there was the incident with Akuma. Then the fight with the boxer. Now this. Ryu couldn't help but believe that something very weird was going on.  
  
He tried to turn his thoughts to a lighter note. He remembered his meeting with Dan a few weeks ago. Even though they didn't talk long, it was nice just to see how he was doing. The last time Ryu saw him, he full was of hatred toward Sagat. Maybe the hate was still there, but at least he seemed to be enjoying his life.  
  
'So how's Ken been doing?' Those words continued to ring in his ears. It seemed strange that he couldn't come up with a definite answer to that question. Gouken and Ken were the only family that Ryu had ever known. Gouken was always like his father and Ken was like his brother. Gouken was dead now. And Ken hadn't been heard from in years. All of a sudden, Ryu began to feel as if he were all alone in the world. This way of life with all the training and fighting seemed to have no end. 'Maybe I should pay Ken a visit. It's been way too long, and I really need to clear my head.'  
  
***  
  
A few days have passed. Ryu walks down the sidewalk on his way to the docks to catch a boat to America. Suddenly, he feels someone tap on his shoulder. Ryu turns around quickly and finds himself face to face with Chun Li. "Hey, didn't I fight you in a tournament the other day?"  
  
"That would be correct." Chun Li showed him a badge. "I'm with Interpol. I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."  
  
"Sorry, but I'm a little busy right now."  
  
"Sir it's for your own good. We have reason to believe that you're being targeted by Shadowloo."  
  
"Shadowwhat?"  
  
"You mean you've never heard of Shadowloo?"  
  
"I don't watch the news." Ryu turned around and started walking again. Chun Li followed him.  
  
"They're a major crime organization that sells drugs and weapons around the world. Recently, they've been kidnapping Street Fighters like you and brainwashing them into soldiers. You're their next victim."  
  
"Look miss, I'm sorry if I sound rude, but I really don't have time for this. I'm sure I can take care of myself."  
  
"That boxer you fought the other night was a member of Shadowloo." Ryu stopped and listened to her. "Sagat is a member too. They have contacts with all of the best fighters in the world. No matter where you go, they're going to be waiting for you. Not even you can fight them forever."  
  
Ryu continued walking. The boat wasn't too far away. "Like I said, I can take care of myself." Ryu stepped onto the boat, leaving Chun Li behind.  
  
'This can't be good,' she thought.  
  
***  
  
Bison stared into a padded room through a large glass window, along with several of his leading scientists. Inside the room was Cammy sitting naked in a chair with hundreds of wires and probes attatched to her body. Her eyes were covered by a pair of black goggles and her nose and mouth were covered by a mask that fed a special gas to her that would keep her asleep. Bison was telepathically connecting with her subconscious mind.  
  
'Why do you keep fighting me? Can't you see that I'm trying to help you? I'm trying to make you stronger.'  
  
'Because you're evil. You took me away from my home and family.'  
  
'But don't you see? That life was just a trap. From the moment you're born, you watch TV shows and movies and listen to music that forces you to believe in things such as love, honor, and truth. But those things don't exist. They are figments of the imagination. Things that people use to feel good about themselves. People base their entire lives around them, hoping that they will erase the problems in their lives. They don't realize the truth. The only thing you can truly depend on is yourself.'  
  
'No. I don't believe you.'  
  
'But it's true. That life had nothing special in store for you. You would have ended up marrying someone you hate and spent your whole life cooking dinners and raising children. But with me you can be something. I will let you rule the world at my side.'  
  
'Please just let me go home.'  
  
'Why? So you can be a slave like everyone else?'  
  
'No. Everything you say is a lie. I wouldn't be any different from any of your other henchmen.'  
  
'But don't you realize what I'm giving you? At this very moment, I'm giving you my very DNA. That's more than anyone has ever given you. I haven't done this with anyone else. You are very special. Submit to me. Follow me and you will be saved. As long as you stand at my side, everything will be okay.'  
  
'Y....y....yes...........Lord Bison.'  
  
  
The Street Writing Champion: Man I didn't think that scene with Sagat would be so long. But I thought it would be good for developing his character. From now on there shouldn't be anymore flashbacks and stuff. It's just story all the way. Don't forget to send those reviews now, or I might get lazy. I just can't write if I think nobody's reading. Jes has spoken. 


	4. Battle of the Two Dragons

Battle of the Two Dragons  
  
  
Ryu walked through the desert on his way to the next tournament. He stopped as he noticed a single, red rose sprouting from the sand. "That's odd. Plants don't usually grow in places like this." Those words echoed in his mind. 'Plants don't usually grow in places like this. Plants don't usually grow in places like this. Plants don't usually grow in places like this.'  
  
Suddenly grass, flowers, and trees started rising from the sand. Within seconds, the entire desert had transformed into a beautiful landscape. Ryu dropped his bag and looked in shock. "W....what the.......?!"  
  
'Beautiful isn't it?' said a strange female voice that seemed to come from all directions. Then all the grass, flowers, and trees died and crumbled away. Ryu found himself in a dark, gloomy area surrounded by fog. The ground was made of rock and grey storm clouds hung in the air. He looked down to see the red rose that originally captured his interest. It grew to enormous proportions and out of it came a beautiful woman in an elegant, purple dress.  
  
"What is all this? Who are you?!"  
  
The woman floated to the ground. "My name is Rose. And I believe your name is champion."  
  
"What? No, my name's Ryu."  
  
"But everyone else says that you are the champion."  
  
"What they say means nothing to me."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I know who I am. I don't need anyone else to tell me."  
  
"Are you sure? How well do you really know yourself?"  
  
"Where are you getting to with all this?! How did you do that?"  
  
"Fight with me, Ryu. Let me see how strong you are." Ryu readied his fighting stance, still bewildered by the strange events happening before him. He ran toward her and threw a punch to her face. She seemed to fade away as Ryu's fist traveled through her. Suddenly, Ryu felt something hot hit him in the back. He turned around and saw a huge volley of enery balls coming at him. He covered with his arms, not knowing what else to do. As each of the balls came close to him, they swerved out of his way. Finally, they stopped. Ryu lowered his hands and looked for Rose. Then she fell from the sky and grabbed Ryu's neck with both hands while still in midair. Her hands glew a strange, blue color and Ryu was filled with immense pain. He fought through it and grabbed Rose by the wrists. He eventually overpowered her and threw her to the ground. Rose stood up and dusted herself off.  
  
"Not bad." Rose suddenly multiplied into a million copies. "But can you fight all of us." Ryu remained patient and tried to sense which one's chi felt different. He found it and threw a hadouken blast at her. The clones dissolved and the real Rose exploded into ashes.  
  
Ryu waited, not sure of what would happen next. Then the ashes came together and Rose appeared again. "I get it now," said Ryu. "This isn't real. It's just an illusion."  
  
"Is it? Or maybe this is real, and the world you think is real is an illusion."  
  
"Stop with these damn riddles! Why are you doing this?"  
  
"You are indeed a strong warrior. But I sense confusion in your eyes. You must let go of that confusion if you are to defeat "him"."  
  
"Who are you talking about?"  
  
"You will see soon enough. You must defeat that man. I would fight him myself, but I am not powerful enough. Only you have the ability to destroy him, and even so it is a slim chance. You have to forget everything you think you know. Fight with both your power and your spirit. First you must defeat your own weakness and then defeat your enemy."  
  
"What would happen if I can't beat him?"  
  
Suddenly, the whole world dissapeared and everything was black. "Then this is what the world will look like. Nothing. He will destroy everything until there is nothing left to destroy."  
  
"But why am I the only one who can beat him?"  
  
"Because it is your destiny," she whispered.   
  
Ryu woke up and found that he was still on the boat to America. "It was just a dream? No. It was too real. But what was it then?"  
  
***  
  
Chun Li stood in an old warehouse were a tournament was taking place. The place was completely packed with Street Fighter fans, all focused on the fight before them. Chun Li, however, was busy with something more important.  
  
"So you weren't able to get him," said the voice on the other side of the phone. "That's not surprising. Where are you now?"  
  
"I'm at a tournament. Don't worry. I'm in the back and everyone's busy watching the fight. No one can hear us."  
  
"Good. Since we weren't able to reason with him, it looks like we're going to have to take him by force."  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea, sir. I've seen how he fights. It wouldn't be worth the trouble."  
  
"Hmmm. I see. Where did you say he was headed."  
  
"He was on a boat to America."  
  
"Alright. I want you find him and keep an eye on him. Make sure nothing happens. I'll send someone to help you."  
  
"I'll get right on it, sir."  
  
"One more thing. I know how you feel about Bison, but please don't let it affect your judgement. Do what's best for the world's safety."  
  
"I'll do my best, sir."  
  
***  
  
Ken hopped up and down, waiting for his opponent. The tournament took place in a Japanese style dojo, even though it was in America. The crowd was unnaturally quiet. Ken felt almost naked without any flashy entrance music or cheering fans. A sliding door opened across the room. Inside, was a large man dressed as a samurai holding two giant sais. 'What the hell? Is that who I'm fighting? What is this, a costume party?'  
  
Sodom walked closer to Ken and bowed his head. "Prepare yourself, young warrior." Ken almost busted up laughing, while listening to him try to imitate a Japanese accent. But now it was time to get serious. Both men took their fighting positions. Sodom ran toward him and tried to slash him with his sais. Ken ducked the attack. While he was bent over, Sodom attempted to stab him in the back. Ken quickly rolled out of the way. As soon as he got to his feet, he dashed toward his opponent and launched a long series of punches. Sodom blocked the attacks, but was still being forced backwards. Ken then jumped in the air, spun around, and threw a sidekick to his face. Sodom grabbed his foot and threw him across the room. Ken landed on the hard wood floor. He looked up to see Sodom running at him with both sais above his head. Ken quickly kicked him in the stomach with both feet while leaping off the floor. During his moment of vurnerability, Ken spun around and threw the edge of his foot just under his mask in his neck. As Sodom staggered back, Ken leaped in the air and spun toward him with his leg outstretched.  
  
"Senpuu Kyaku!"  
  
Ken slashed his foot across Sodom's face ten times before the attack stopped. He landed on his feet and saw his opponent wobling back and forth with his arms down. 'Time to finish this,' he thought. Fire blazed from Ken's fist. He then gave Sodom a powerful uppercut as he rose into the air.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Sodom crashed hard into the floor. His whole helmet was filled with dents from Ken's attacks. Ken wiped some sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The crowd clapped quietly. 'What's wrong with these guys. They're like a bunch of zombies. I'd better get out here before one of them tries to eat my brain.' Ken was about to leave when he was stopped by a voice in the crowd. "Not bad. Think you can still handle one more fight?"   
  
Ryu leaped from the crowd and into the ring. The crowd gasped in unison. Ever since Ken got popular, there was a rumor that he trained with Ryu. This seemed to solve the mystery. Ken stood in shock. "Ryu?"  
  
Ryu squatted down and charged some energy into his hands with a devious grin on his face. "Well, how about it? Feel like getting your ass kicked today?"  
  
Ken smiled back and imitated his actions. "Speak for yourself you little punk!"  
  
Both fired their hadouken blasts at the same time. As the energy exploded in the middle of the ring, the two warriors leaped toward each other and aimed a kick at one another. They bounced off each other's feet and landed on opposite sides of the ring. They immediately rushed forward again, firing punch after punch, kick after kick. At first, they would both throw the same attack at the same time, as if they anticipated the other's movements. They continued to strike each other's limbs until they eventually had to back away to catch each other's breath.  
  
***  
  
Several hours have passed. The two fighters have battled non-stop since the fight began. No one from the crowd had ever seen a fight with such passion and ferocity. Now both men stood apart while staring into each other's eyes. They were both completely exhausted from the long fight. There bodies were covered with cuts and bruises. And yet, they both wanted to continue.  
  
Ken finally made the first move. He ran toward Ryu with an animal warcry. He then unleashed a powerful barrage of punches and kicks. Ryu blocked and dodjed each of them with expert precision. Finally, he grabbed Ken's wrist and pulled him into his knee. As he bent over, Ryu slammed his elbow into his back. Ken fell to the floor. He rolled away several feet and pushed himself to a standing position. Then he leaped high into the air. Ryu followed him. As both were in midair, Ken threw a roundkick at him. Ryu blocked with his knee and hit him with combination of punches. As Ken fell backwards, he swung his leg up, and the ball of his foot caught Ryu under the chin. Both men fell to the floor and lied on their backs for a long time. The crowd cheered and clapped, breaking their former silent treatment. Finally, Ryu stood up and helped his friend to his feet.  
  
"I got up first," Ryu said smiling.  
  
"But I got the last attack."  
  
"That was just a lucky kick."  
  
"No it wasn't!"  
  
"Listen to us. We're acting like a bunch of little kids."  
  
"Yeah, well you started it!"  
  
***  
  
Bison watched the two on the computer screen with Zoltar at his side. "Ryu becomes more impressive every time I see him. What did you say the other one's name is?"  
  
"Ken Masters, sir. According to the information I gathered, he is Ryu's only friend. The two trained together under the same master. Ken is also the US martial arts champion."  
  
"Doesn't Ryu have any living relatives?"  
  
"None that I could find, sir."  
  
"Interesting. I want you to keep a close eye on both of them. Call my best agents and have them stand by in case I need them."  
  
"Yes sir. I'll do it right away." Zoltar left the room.  
  
Bison stood from his chair and began pacing around the room. "Ken is indeed a strong fighter. But he doesn't have that same power as Ryu." Bison remembered the power he felt from Ryu when he fought Balrog. "I've never felt anything quite like that. On the outside, he seems like a normal human. But he is much different from any other fighter. I can't figure out what it is that separates him from other men. If him and Ken were both trained in the same way, then supposedly Ken should have that same power as well." Bison stared in the corner of his room. "What do you think?"  
  
Cammy stood with her hands crossed behind her back and a dead glare in her eyes. "He seems like an ordinary human to me, Lord Bison."  
  
"That's what I would expect you to say. But there's a powerful force buried deep inside Ryu. We'll have to get to him before it awakens. I doubt any of my servants will be able to handle him. I may have to fight him myself."  
  
"Why don't you let me take care of him, Lord Bison?"  
  
Bison smiled evily. "Perhaps, you could. But I think I want to do this myself. Afterall, it's been awhile since I've been in a good fight. I don't want to get out of practice."  
  
  
The Idiot Speaks: Okay, here's the deal. I really don't know how often I'll be able to update do to certain problems in the 'real world'. But I'll try my best to have a new chapter once a week. I'm not making any promises though. If it seems like I'm not updating, just be patient. I'm not going to forget about this fic. I'm having too much fun writing it. Jes has spoken. 


	5. Standing at hell's gate

Standing at hell's gate  
  
Vega relaxed in his lawn chair enjoying the beautiful view of the acres of land he owned, while one of his girls massaged his shoulders. Behind him was his gigantic mansion, and in front of that was a big statue of himself in his fighting gear. Vega kept himself surrounded with money and beautiful women, living the kind of life that most men could only dream of. Of course, he earned all this through bloodshed, but that didn't bother him. He actually enjoyed being an assasin. While most of Bison's henchmen worked in loyalty or fear of the man, Vega was in it only for the fame and money.  
  
His cell phone rang. "Who is it?" he asked coldly.  
  
"I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"  
  
Vega quickly sat up. "Lord Bison! Please, forgive me. I didn't know it was you."   
  
Bison chuckled on the other side of the phone. "You amuse me, Vega. I have a mission for you. There is a Japanese man in America who goes by the name of Ryu. I believe he's staying in San Fransisco."  
  
Vega relaxed in his chair. "Ryu? Isn't that the Street Fighting champion?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
A mischievious grin formed on Vega's face. "So what will it be? Murder, kidnapping, what?" he asked, showing no signs of fear, or even caring why he was targeting this man.  
  
"Actually, I plan on fighting him myself."  
  
Vega's eyes lit up at that remark. "...Sir?"  
  
"I'm bringing you because I have reason to believe that he won't be alone. You will be working alongside Sagat, Cammy,.....and me. Your mission will be discussed in further detail when you come back to headquarters. You will do so immediately."  
  
Bison hung up. Vega was in shock. 'Who is this man that Bison would challenge himself?'  
  
***  
  
Ken drove toward his house with Ryu in the passenger side. "So what's up man? What've you been doing all these years."  
  
"You know, training and fighting."  
  
"That's what you said the last time. And the time before that if I'm not mistaken. Don't you have like a place to live yet?"  
  
Ryu held up his bag. "Yeah. This is it, right here."  
  
"Man. That's like a major upgrade for you. When was the last time you took a shower? You smell like crap."  
  
"Thanks. To be honest I'm not real sure."  
  
Ken laughed. "Oh, man. Eliza's gonna love you."  
  
"Who's that, the girl of the week?" Ryu asked with a sly grin.  
  
"Actually, she's my fiancee."  
  
Ryu stared blankly for a moment, then busted up laughing. "You're joking, right?"  
  
Ken held up his hand, showing his engagement ring. "No dude, I'm serious."  
  
"You mean you're actually engaged?"  
  
"Why is that so hard to believe?"  
  
"Well, I just can't imagine YOU spending the rest of your life with just one woman."  
  
"Man, shut up. What about you? Any women in your life?"  
  
"Not unless you count saving a girl from being raped or a cop that keeps following me."  
  
"Oh, a stalker. There's another big upgrade for you."  
  
"Hey, by the way, I saw Dan the other day."  
  
"Dan?! I haven't seen him since I was like, what, 13?"  
  
"He has changed alot. He's not as pissed off all the time like he used be. Plus, he seems to be pretty popular with the fans."  
  
"Wow, who would've thunk it. Well, here we are."  
  
Ken pulled up to his mansion. "Whoa. This is where you live?"  
  
"Yeah. Pretty awesome, huh?"  
  
Both men stepped inside. Ryu was blown away by how expensive everything looked. It had been a long time since he was in a place this nice. "Wow," he said quietly.  
  
"Honey, I'm home!"  
  
Eliza ran in and kissed Ken on the lips. "Hey, baby. Who's this?"  
  
"Eliza, meet Ryu."  
  
The two shook hands. "Oh so you're the infamous Ryu I've heard so much about."  
  
"And you must be Eliza. Nice to meet you."  
  
"C'mon Ryu," Ken said. "I'll show you to your room. It's got an actual bed and everything."  
  
***  
  
Guile leaned against his black jeep as he waited for his partner to arrive. He'd done a lot of studying on her to make sure he was prepared. He preferred to work alone, but he still didn't want to be caught off guard if he had to fight Bison.  
  
A group of passengers got off a nearby plane, among them was Chun Li. Guile walked in front of her. "Is your name Chun Li?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Colonel William Guile. I've been assigned to help you on your mission."  
  
"Nice to meet you."  
  
Guile helped her load her bags. They both got in the jeep, and Guile began driving toward their destination. After several minutes, Guile finally decided to break the akward silence. "So exactly how much do you know about Bison?"  
  
Chun Li didn't make eye contact. "I know that he's the leader of Shadowloo."  
  
"And?"  
  
"He has influence with all the best fighters. He sells drugs and weapons all over the world."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"What more is there to know?"  
  
Guile began to remember how Charlie was killed by Bison's Psycho Power. His thoughts were interrupted by Chun Li's voice. "Are you okay, Colonel?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Another long silence began. Guile knew that their mission was to protect the Street Fighting champion. He had a strange gut feeling that wouldn't go away. "Listen, Chun Li. In case...we have to fight Bison I want you to let me handle it, alright?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I know about your father. You probably want him dead as badly as I do. But I doubt that you would be enough to beat him."  
  
"Don't underestimate me. I've been training my whole life for him. In fact, those who participate in the Street Fighting tournaments call me the strongest woman in the world."  
  
"I don't care what they call you. I've studied your fights, and I know that you'd lose. You've trained under the assumption that he's nothing more than a common drug lord."  
  
"Well what else is he?"  
  
Guile sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
Chun Li relaxed in her seat and decided to let the subject drop. 'This is going to be a tough few weeks,' she thought.  
  
***  
  
Ryu and Ken were practicing in Ken's gym, taking turns throwing punches and kicks at a heavy punching bag. "Hey, Ryu?" Ken said.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Do you...well...do you like living the way you do?"  
  
Ryu chuckled as he hit the bag with a hard punch. "Actually, I've tried to quit several times in the past. But every time I do, I always get bored and end up doing this again. I guess this way of life is just a part of me. Maybe, I'm just not meant to be normal."  
  
"I'll say. You're probably the weirdest person I know."  
  
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being weird." The doorbell rang. Both men continued to hit the bag back and forth. "Aren't you gonna get that?"  
  
"Don't worry, Eliza'll get it. So what's wrong, man?"  
  
"What are you talking about."  
  
"Well, you've been hanging out in my gym ever since you got here."  
  
"It's not every day I get to use real work out equipment."  
  
Ken stopped the bag with his hands and glared at Ryu. "C'mon, Ryu. I know when something's bothering you."  
  
Ryu walked over to a towel and wiped his forehead. "I really don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Man, you know that I'm the only person on earth that really understands you. If you can't tell me, then who can you can you tell?"  
  
Ryu sighed. He didn't want to say anything, but he knew Ken wouldn't leave him alone until he did. "I fought with Akuma."  
  
Ken's eyes opened wide. "You did what?"  
  
"I said I fought with Akuma."  
  
"Dude what were you thinking? You know that thing isn't human. Fighting him is like suicide."  
  
"I know. But I felt like if I didn't do anything, I'd be turning my back on Master Gouken."  
  
"I care about the master too, but you don't really believe you could beat him do you?"  
  
"You don't get it. To me he was more than a master. He was like my father. I never had a family like you. He may have taught you martial arts, but he taught me everything I know."  
  
"So....what happened when you fought him?"  
  
Ryu closed his eyes in thought. "I'm not real sure. All I can say for sure is that I didn't win. I'm sure he's out there somewhere. I feel like he's been watching my every move."  
  
A long silence began between the two warriors. Suddenly, Eliza ran into the room. "Uh, Ken? There's some people at the door. They say they're here for Ryu."  
  
***  
  
Ryu, Ken, and Eliza were sitting in the living room on a couch. Across from them were Chun Li and Guile, trying to explain the situation. Guile had barely said a word, deciding to let Chun Li do most of the talking. "We're trying to protect you," said Chun Li. "If Shadowloo gets their hands on you, it could mean trouble for the whole world."  
  
Eliza looked at Ken. "I don't know if I like the idea of cops staying in our house," she said quietly.  
  
"Look, you don't seem to understand," Guile replied. "Since you're the Street Fighting champion, Shadowlaw is going to be relentless in trying to get you. They probably already know about your relationship with Ken, so I bet they'll be after him too. This is the only way we can guarantee your safety."  
  
Ryu got up and paced behind the couch. "Why can't you people just leave me alone? I don't care how relentless they are. If they come after me, I'm sure I'll be able to deal with it."  
  
Guile looked at Ken and Eliza. "And what about your friends here."  
  
Ryu thought for a long moment. "Fine. Do whatever you want. I don't care. But I don't want you people following me around my whole life."  
  
Ken stood up. "Well, I guess I'll show you to your rooms," he said in a reluctant tone of voice. Eliza, Guile, and Chun Li all got up to follow him. Before they reached the stairs, however, Chun Li looked back and saw Ryu sitting on the couch with his face buried in his hands. Seeing him like that made her feel bad about interfering with his life like this. She decided sit down across from him. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"  
  
"Go ahead," he said quietly without looking at her.  
  
"Why is it that you fight in those tournaments?"  
  
Ryu sat up. "It's hard to explain. Fighting just seems like the only thing I'm good at. I don't really care about anything else."  
  
"Nothing?"  
  
Ryu shook his head. "Nothing else seems important to me. I was born an orphan and raised by an old martial arts master. I was being taught from the time I could walk. I never really knew about anything else. So I've been traveling the world trying to find the best fighters so that I can push myself as hard as possible."  
  
"That sounds like a horrible way to live."  
  
"No. Not really. When I'm in a fight I don't think about anything else. It's like the world around me disappears and I have no reason to worry about anything."  
  
Chun Li looked startled by what she was hearing. "What do you hope to accomplish from all this fighting?"  
  
"I want to become a master," he simply replied. "Maybe someday I can train my own students like my master did for me. But until then I'll just keep living as I do now."  
  
"But you're the Street Fighting champion. I would think that would qualify you as a master."  
  
Ryu chuckled and shook his head. "I don't feel like a master. And I don't feel like a champion either. That's just a name that everyone else gave me. I know that I can become a lot stronger than I am now."  
  
"You're not like other people are you?"  
  
Ryu looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Boy, isn't that the understatement of the century?" he replied sarcastically. "You know, I don't think I ever got your name."  
  
"Chun Li."  
  
"Well Chun Li, what about you? Why do you fight?"  
  
Chun Li looked away at the floor. "I never really wanted to. It's just a part of my job."  
  
"No offense, but I can never understand why someone would do something that they don't want to do."  
  
"My father....was killed by the leader of Shadowloo. I feel that if I fight in his tournaments I can come closer to avenging him."  
  
Ryu frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. But does that mean that the tournament where I fought you was conducted by him?"  
  
"Yes. That's why the boxer you fought was there."  
  
"Who exactly is this man?"  
  
"Well, no one knows his real name, but he calls himself Bison."  
  
For some strange, unexplainable reason, Ryu felt a chill crawl up his spine when he heard that name. He got up and began to walk away. "Where are you going?" asked Chun Li.  
  
"To the gym. I need to work off some stress."  
  
***  
  
Several days have passed. It's late at night and most of the house is asleep. Not Ryu and Ken, however. Ken is currently leading Ryu through the woods toward some unknown destination.  
  
"Come on tough guy, hurry up." Ken said while hopping backwards on his feet and looking at Ryu.  
  
"I don't see how you can be so energetic. Most people are trying to sleep at this time. Where are you taking me anyway?"  
  
"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise no would it."  
  
"Well can you at least tell me why I have to see it in the middle of the night?"  
  
"I don't want those interpol guys to bother us. When you see what it is you'll understand why."  
  
After several more minutes, the two warriors stood before an exact copy of Gouken's dojo. "Wow," replied Ryu. "It's amazing."  
  
Ken leaped up the stairs leading to a large concrete area in front of the dojo where sparring took place. "I knew you'd like it. Come on up."  
  
Ryu traced his hand on the edge of the railing as he slowly ascended the steps. "I can't believe how much it looks like the old dojo. How did you do it?"  
  
"You can build just about anything if you have enough money. I was able to copy everything except the blood stains. I thought it would be best to make those authentic. What do you say?" He threw a powerful kick in the air at head level with Ryu. "You haven't forgotten how you got that headband have you?"  
  
"I might have to let you borrow it when we get done."  
  
A thunder clap echoed throughout the area. "Sounds like a storm is brewing," Ken said. "You know we've always had our best fights in the rain."  
  
"So what are we waiting for? I'm ready whenever you are."  
  
***  
  
Deep in Guile's subconscious mind. Guile stands perfectly still in a dark space while Bison walks circles around his body.  
  
"Hello Guile. Did you think I forgot about you? Oh no. I don't like it when people escape from my dungeon. You should be dead right now, just like your little friend. You should've seen the look on your face when I killed him. I know you've wanted revenge. I've felt your hate and your fear. In fact, I've been feeding on it. How does it feel to know that you've helped make your worst enemy even stronger. You want to kill me so badly. Well here I am. Come and kill me....if you can."  
  
Guile woke up with a loud gasp. "He's here. I have to get Chun Li."  
  
***  
  
Ryu and Ken stood apart, breathing hard from the series of blows they had traded. The violent wind was blowing against the trees and the thunder was becoming even louder as the storm picked up energy. "Not bad for a warm up," Ken said.  
  
"I'm just getting started," Ryu answered back. Both men went into their fighting stances and waited for the other to attack.  
  
Suddenly, a confused expression spread across Ken's face. "Do you hear that?"  
  
At first Ryu thought he was trying to pull some kind of trick. But then he could hear it to. It sounded like a jet. And then he could feel it. Some enormous amount of power. He could tell Ken could feel it too. "What the hell is that?!"  
  
Then a gigantic aircraft descended from the sky. It crushed the trees underneath it as if it were nothing as it landed on the ground. Guile and Chun Li suddenly appeared behind them. "What are you guys doing here?" Ken asked.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing," Guile answered back.  
  
All was silent as the door on the aircraft opened and a flight of stairs fell onto the dojo floor. Bison then appeared in the doorway. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, highlighting his features in an almost demonic way. He spoke no words. His mere presence was enough to let the fighters know that he was incredibly powerful. The moment Chun Li saw his face, her anger exploded and she lost control of her emotions. "BISON!!!!!!!!" she yelled as she ran toward him to attack.  
  
"Chun Li, no!" yelled Guile. Chun Li leaped over the stairs and threw a kick at his face. When she was only an inch away however, a bright blue shield flashed in front of him, causing her to fall all the way off the dojo's floor onto the hard ground. Bison raised his hand and Chun Li's body floated off the ground. She began spinning toward him violently, and at the last second he swatted her into a tree with a simple swipe of his hand.  
  
"I had no idea," Chun Li thought out loud. "How can he do that."  
  
Bison slowly descended the steps, followed by Sagat, Vega, and Cammy. "Leave her alone!" Guile yelled. "If you want to fight someone, fight me!"  
  
A gruesome smirk appeared on Bison's face. "Colonel William Guile. Such a pleasure to see you. The last time I saw you, you were but a mere child. Lets see if you've really gotten any stronger. You'll make a nice warm up for my real opponent." He looked back at his henchmen. "Keep the others busy while I swat this annoying little fly."  
  
Sagat walked toward Ryu. "Remember me, Ryu?" He reached down and stroked his scar. "This scar will look like nothing when I'm through with you."  
  
Cammy leaped off the dojo and landed in front of Chun Li, who was just now getting up from Bison's attack. Chun Li stared into Cammy's dead eyes as she readied her fighting stance.  
  
Vega slowly approached Ken as he put on his mask. "I guess that leaves you and me," he said. "It will be fun watching your blood spill across the floor."  
  
"Speak for yourself you freak," Ken replied.  
  
Guile threw one punch after another as he desperately tried to hit Bison. Every time Guile came close, Bison would disappear and reappear somewhere else. "Stay still you coward!" Guile yelled in frustration.  
  
Bison caught one of Guile's punches and began crushing his knuckles. "What's wrong Guile? Don't you care about your friend? It doesn't seem like your trying very hard to avenge him." Guile threw his foot upward and unleashed a powerful flash kick. Bison let go of his fist and bent backwards to avoid the attack. As Guile completed his midair flip, Bison leaped in the air and kicked him hard across the face. Guile fell down and hit the back of his head on the concrete. Bison lifted him up by his face and initiated his psycho power. Guile's entire body was filled with an unreal pain that he'd never felt before. "This is exactly how he felt when I killed him!" Out of desperation, Guile reached up and threw a punch to his face. Bison let go before it hit him, and literally flew several feet back. Guile reached back with both arms, and with a powerful warcry, threw his arms forward and launched a wave of energy. Just before it hit him, Bison teleported in front of him and hit him hard in the stomach. Guile flew back and tumbled down the stairs.  
  
Chun Li threw a long series of kicks at her opponent, but they were all blocked easily. Even Cammy's blocks seemed to hurt as they bruised Chun Li's legs. Finally, she threw a kick of her own at Chun Li's stomach and punched her across the face. Chun Li staggered back. She retaliated with a kikoken blast. Cammy leaped into the air and spun over it several times before she backfisted Chun Li's lip as she landed. The two traded blows back and forth, unable to make contact with the other. In an attempt to catch her by suprise, Chun Li jumped and flipped over her, planning to land on her with her knee. Cammy turned around with lightning quick reflexes. As Chun Li fell from the air, Cammy jumped up and thrusted her foot straight over her head. Chun Li was struck with the attack and fell from the air.  
  
Vega threw one claw swipe after another, as his blades whipped through the air with unworldly speed. Despite his previously calm manner, Vega acted as if he were possessed by a demon once he began fighting. Ken somehow managed to avoid all of Vega's attacks, a fact that surprised even him judging the speed of his moves. At some point in this barrage, Vega spun around and swung his claw at Ken's chest. Ken leaped backwards and missed the attack by centimeters. Vega swiftly jumped up and swung his foot at Ken's face. Ken barely ducked the attack and punched Vega in the stomach. As Vega stumbled back, Ken ran toward him and tried to hit him with a flying kick. As Ken soared through the air, Vega dove past him and raked his talons across his chest. Ken yelled in pain and fell to the ground. He opened his eyes and saw Vega flying through the air, attempting to land on him. He rolled out of the way, but as he stood up his arm was sliced by Vega's claws.  
  
Ryu was being attacked by an endless flurry of punches and kicks. He found it difficult to keep his balance while blocking the attacks. Unlike Balrog, Sagat had both power and skill. He sent a powerful roundkick to Ryu's face. Even though he blocked it, the force of the attack was still enough to send Ryu on his back. He rolled far away from him to distance himself from Sagat's limbs. The moment he got up, he saw a blade of fire coming at him. He barely managed to duck the attack. Sagat was now bombarding Ryu with barrage of tiger shots. It was like an endless sea of flames coming from Sagat's fists. Ryu was able to dodje most of the attacks, although his arms and legs were still cut by the edges of a few of them. 'How can he keep doing that,' he wondered. 'He should be getting tired by now.'  
  
At last Ryu saw his opening. He leaped over one of the blasts and aimed a kick at Sagat's face. But instead of connecting, Sagat suddenly rose quickly into the air and gave him a powerful uppercut to the jaw. Ryu came crashing down on his back. Sagat walked toward him and picked him up by his hair. 'I'll kill him just as I killed the man who took my eye.' Sagat slammed his knee into Ryu's face over and over. Ryu's eyes turned black. Blood dripped heavily from his nose and lips. With each crash of the knee, Ryu sank closer to unconsiousness. Just then a thought came across Ryu's mind. 'If he keeps this up, I'm going to die.' Right when Sagat was about to deliver the finishing blow, Ryu put his hands in front of his face and absorbed the blow. He then pushed off Sagat's knee, flipped forward, and chopped his heel into Sagat's nose. Sagat stumbled back. He quickly threw a tiger shot, but Ryu rolled under it and leaped into a hurricane kick.  
  
"Senpuu kyaku!"  
  
Ryu's foot pounded repeatedly into Sagat's face. As soon as he landed on his feet, Ryu fired a hadou blast into Sagat's chest.  
  
"Hadouken!"  
  
Sagat was thrown off the dojo floor. He landed head first on the ground, the impact instantly knocking him unconscious. Ryu jumped down and waited to see if Sagat would get up. Just then he heard a loud, maniacal laughter. He turned his head to see Bison staring at him and crushing Guile's head under his foot. At this point, the sky was pouring down rain. Bison stepped over Guile's head and walked toward Ryu. 'I've waited for this moment for so long,' Guile thought as his blood mixed with the cold, soft dirt. 'How could I lose? I knew he was strong, but I had no idea it would be like this. How can anyone beat such a monster?'  
  
"I've had my eye on you for quite some time, Ryu," Bison said. "Since you like to fight so much, why don't you fight me? I'm sure you'll find it entertaining."  
  
Ryu could feel the energy coming off Bison's body. It was enormous. A power of pure evil. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt. 'That woman from my dream,' Ryu thought. 'Is this who she was talking about?' Ryu was unsure if he could beat him, but it was against everything he believed in to turn down a challenge. He nervously went into his fighting position.  
  
"That's good," Bison whispered. Ryu ran toward him at full speed. He threw two punches followed by a leaping roundkick. Bison easily blocked the attacks and hit him in the chest with his palm. Despite being a simple hand strike, the attack drove the air out of Ryu and sent him sliding across the ground. Ryu rolled back onto his feet but Bison gone. Suddenly Bison appeared behind him and punched him in the spine. He grabbed Ryu's hair as he began to fall and slammed the back of his neck into his knee. Ryu fell to his hands and knees. Out of desperation, he stood up, turned, and threw a backfist. Bison grabbed his wrist and put him in a painful armlock. He spun around and rammed Ryu's head into a tree. Ryu staggered back. He looked up to see Bison gliding towards him with unhuman speed. In an attempt to keep his distance, Ryu turned around and ran up the side of a tree. Bison flew up to him, grabbed his hair, and slammed him into the ground. Ryu slowly stood up. Bison began using as a punching bag, throwing a punch after another and finally knocking him away with an uppercut. Ryu once again struggled to his feet. He put his hands at his side and began summoning his chi. He then threw his hands forward and fired a hadou blast of immense power.  
  
"Hadouken!"  
  
Just as the attack was about to strike him, Bison raised his glowing hand and stopped it in midflight. Then he simply pushed it away and sent it back at Ryu. The blast exploded into Ryu's body and sent him flying into a tree.  
  
Sagat began to regain consciousness. He sat to one knee and watched Ryu struggle to his feet with the tree's support. 'No! Not again! I won't let him humiliate me again!' "Lord Bison!" he yelled. "Please, allow me to finish him!"  
  
Bison turned and looked at Cammy standing over Chun Li's body. A smirk appeared on his face. "Very well. Do as you wish." He then walked away toward Chun Li's direction. Before Ryu knew what was happening, he found himself the victim of a violent combination of punches and kicks. His previous punishment by Bison left him unable to defend himself. Sagat's was relentless in his attack.  
  
Then out of nowhere, Ryu threw a devastating punch to the solar plexus. Sagat staggered back. Ryu followed it with his own flurry of attacks, fighting on instinct alone. After several minutes of non-stop punching and kicking, Ryu finished him off with a deadly dragon punch.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Ryu's knuckles crashed into the bridge of his nose and knocked him unconscious again. Ryu landed on his feet and struggled to catch his breath. Suddenly, he heard Bison call his name. "Ryu!" He looked up to see Bison standing at the top of the stairs with his arm around Chun Li's neck and his other hand holding her wrists behind her. "A fascinating display of strength. However, I'm afraid I've become quite bored with this. Therefore, I demand you surrender immediately. If you don't, this girl will die before your eyes."  
  
"Let go of me you bastard!" yelled Chun Li.  
  
"What will it be, Ryu!? Will you give yourself to me, or will you allow me to murder this sweet, innocent, young girl!?"  
  
Ryu stood silent for a long time, contemplating his decision. Then he slowly ascended the stairs. "Let her go," he said.  
  
"That's a good boy." Cammy came up behind Ryu and put his hands in a pair of handcuffs. Bison forcefully threw Chun Li to the ground.   
  
"No, Ryu!" yelled Ken. He then ran toward Bison at full speed. Bison faced him and threw a ball of psycho power. Ken soared through the air with sparks of psycho power dancing on his body. He landed on the floor twitching and squirming.  
  
Sagat began to awaken. "We leave now!" Bison commanded. His henchmen one by one entered the aircraft. Bison then led Ryu into his jet and took one last look at the destruction he had caused. His psychotic laughter echoed over the land as the thunder boomed and the aircraft took flight.  
  
  
What's wrong? Did you expect a happy ending? Did you think this was some kind of damn fairy tale? That's what you would like isn't it? Well I'm afraid that's not how the story goes. Things don't always happen as you plan. But don't worry. This is not the end. In fact, this is only the beginning of my war against the world. Bison has spoken. 


	6. The Demon Within

The Demon Within  
  
Many weeks have passed since the day of Ryu's kidnapping. Since that day, he has been kept in a dungeon that looked as if it were medieval in origin. The smell of that place was like a mixture of rotting blood, sweat, smoke, and gunpowder. It was a smell that he still hadn't adjusted to. Strange looking torture devices were scattered throughout the dungeon. During his time there, Ryu had seen and experienced horrible acts of violence that no sane person could even imagine.  
  
Ryu was now chained to one of the walls while two Shadowloo guards took turns hitting him in the face and stomach with the bottoms of their guns. He already felt incredibly weak from the terrible torture he'd been receiving. His eyes were closed. He felt helpless to do anything, except hope that the beating would end sometime in the near future. Suddenly, he felt a blast of fresh air enter the room and the guards stopped. Ryu slowly lifted his head to see the door to the dungeon wide open. It let in a bright, white light that resembled the light at the end of the tunnel that would take him to Heaven. Unfortunately, the opposite would prove to be true.  
  
Bison walked into the dungeon followed by several of his henchmen, including Sagat. He approached Ryu and glared at him with a proud smirk on his face. Then, out of nowhere, Bison wrapped his glowing hand around Ryu's nose and mouth. Ryu let out a scream under his hand as the psycho power burned into his skin. Bison let go and laughed. "You hate me don't you?"  
  
"How could you do that?" Ryu asked as he thought back to that fateful battle. "What kind of person holds a girl hostage to win a fight?!"  
  
"You poor boy. You fight like a demon, but you still think like a human. You are too easily controlled by your emotions. Victory goes to he who best capitalizes on his opponent's weaknesses. It is the same as what you do in your fights."  
  
"That power. Where did you get it?"  
  
"You mean this?" Bison raised his fist which immediately began glowing with psycho power. Ryu could feel the immense, evil energy coming out of his hand. "It is called psycho power. It feeds off the hate and fear of others."  
  
"You were born with it?"  
  
Bison chuckled at his victim's ignorance. "In a sense, yes." Bison walked closer to him and whispered so his henchmen wouldn't hear him. "You see, Ryu...I have existed since the birth of this planet. I have shown many different forms and gone by many different names, but I have always been here. Constantly starting wars and creating panic. Whenever my body became too weak to contain my power, I would move to another. Now with Shadowloo at my command and the world begging on its knees, I am closer to conquering the world then I ever have been. I'm so close that I can feel it. And you will help me take that one last step."  
  
"I will never help a monster like you!"  
  
Bison punched him hard in the stomach, driving the oxygen from his body. He then grabbed his face and forced him to look into his eyes. "You act as if you have a choice." Bison turned around and suddenly Ryu's chains unlocked. He fell to his hands and knees and struggled to regain his breath. Bison was about to leave the dungeon when he spoke back to his henchmen. "Torture him. Be as relentless as you can without killing him. Don't just break his body, break his spirit."  
  
As soon as Bison left the room, they attacked him. Ryu was somehow able to fight them off for a while, until Sagat joined in. Then the numbers advantage and torture he'd received earlier caught up with him, and he was forced to succumb to their beating.  
  
***  
  
The beating lasted for several hours. At last, the men left the dungeon, leaving him lying in a pool of his own blood on the brink of unconsciousness. He was unable to move. He wouldn't want to if he could anyway. Right now he just wanted to rest his battered body.  
  
Suddenly, he felt a warm presence in the room. It seemed to sooth his pain and bring strength back to his muscles. Ryu cracked his eyes open and looked up to see Rose standing above him. "You again," he said. "So I guess you are real."  
  
"Did you think I was just a dream?" she asked as she helped him to his feet.  
  
"To be honest, I'm not sure what I thought." Ryu leaned his back on the wall and slid down to the floor. "I couldn't beat him," he said. "I guess I'm not the great warrior that you thought I was. So does this mean the world is going to end?"  
  
"Don't give up hope yet, Ryu. You may have lost this battle, but the war is far from over."  
  
"How can you still expect me to fight him?! He has me right where he wants me. I've lost too much strength, and even if I was at full health, I don't know if I could beat him."  
  
"Be patient. You'll get your chance. As long as you continue to have faith in yourself, the battle will not be over."  
  
With that, Rose disappeared leaving Ryu alone once again. 'How am I supposed to have hope when I'm trapped in this place?' he thought.  
  
***  
  
Ken, Guile, and Chun Li were all forced to stay in a hospital after that battle. Ken, however, was in the worst shape of all of them. Not only had he lost a lot of blood from Vega's claws, but he also suffered a direct hit of Bison's psycho power, wreaking havoc on his nervous system. He had been in a coma since that day and was just now waking up.  
  
Ken opened his eyes and stared into the blurry, white light above him. 'Where am I?' he thought.  
  
"So you're finally awake," said a voice beside him.  
  
Ken rolled his head to see Guile sitting beside his bed. "What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Bison got you. You've been in a coma for weeks. The doctors said they'd never seen anything like it. Me, Chun Li, and Eliza have been taking turns watching you to see if you'd wake up."  
  
Ken was now beginning to remember what had happened. "What about Ryu?"  
  
Guile frowned. "I'm afraid he's in Bison's custody now. I've got no idea where they've taken him."  
  
"Damn it! What the hell do they want with Ryu, anyway?!"  
  
"I believe they want to brainwash him into serving them. This could be a huge problem, considering Ryu's skill level."  
  
"Well we have to stop them then!"  
  
Guile closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Look, I didn't want to say this, but chances are Ryu isn't the same person anymore. He's just a mindless zombie like the rest of Bison's army. And like I said before, I wouldn't know where to look anyway."  
  
Ken tried to sit up but fell back to his bed. "Relax," said Guile. "You need your rest."  
  
Ken ignored him and tried again. He rolled onto his side, ripping cords from his body in the process. He then put his feet on the floor and slowly stood to his feet. He stretched his weak, tired muscles as Guile looked on in amazement. He looked over his shoulder at Guile. "I'm not going to give up that easily. Ryu is my friend. We grew up together. I don't know if that means anything to a person like you, but if my friend is in trouble, I'm going to do whatever it takes to help him."  
  
Hearing what Ken had said made Guile remember Charlie's death. He knew exactly how he felt. "Hey, I can't promise a miracle, but me and Chun Li will do what we can to find him. We'll keep in touch with you, okay?"  
  
Ken looked out the window. He closed his eyes in an attempt to hide his emotions. "Thanks," he said. Guile left the room, leaving Ken alone with his thoughts. 'Please, be okay, Ryu.'  
  
***  
  
A group of Shadowloo thugs were gathered around both Ryu and Sagat in a circle. The two had been fighting for hours. Everytime Ryu gained an advantage, the others would join in and attack him.  
  
Sagat punched him in the face, sending him stumbling to the crowd of thugs. One of them knocked him down by hitting him in the back of the head with a pipe. Then the others started stomping relentlessly on his broken body. Ryu managed to escape them, but ran into one of Sagat's jabs. He staggered back and fell to one knee while Sagat's laughter echoed over the dungeon. "You dare call yourself champion?!" he yelled. "You were never a champion! You're nothing!"  
  
Ryu coughed a few times to clear his voice and looked up at Sagat. "You fool. You've lost your warrior's pride."  
  
An angry expression spread across Sagat's face. "What are you babbling about?"  
  
"Look at you. You wait until I'm weak and surrounded by your little friends before you challenge me. You don't even care how you win as long as you do. It's a meaningless victory. You've forgotten the true meaning of the fight."  
  
Sagat bared his teeth and leaped toward Ryu, crashing his knee into his face. Ryu slid backwards several feet on his back and stayed there. Sagat turned around to leave the dungeon. "Do what you want with him," he called back to the others.  
  
Sagat left and the others gathered around Ryu's beaten form. He slowly looked up at them. They were all smiling and laughing at the pain and suffering they were about to cause. 'How long must this last,' he thought to himself. Then the thugs began stomping him and hitting him with their weapons.  
  
***  
  
Ryu sat unconscious in a large, metal chair with a strange, helmet-like mechanism covering his head. It had goggles covering his eyes and several wires that led to various machines. Bison and Zoltar were alone with him in the laboratory.  
  
"He has the strongest will I've ever seen," said Zoltar. "No one has ever lasted this long."  
  
"Leave me alone with him," Bison commanded. "I can get him to submit."  
  
"Yes, sir." Zoltar bowed and left the room.  
  
"It's that damn power again," Bison said to himself. "It's somehow blocking my psycho power. I wish I understood it more thoroughly. It seems like I've felt it somewhere before, but where?"  
  
Bison thought for a moment then smiled. "No matter. You will eventually succumb to my power. No one has ever resisted it." With that, Bison's eyes flashed a dark blue color and sparks of psycho power danced upon the helmet on Ryu's head. Even in his unconscious state, Ryu could still feel the immense pain. It was unlike any other pain he'd ever felt. It seemed to not only be a physical pain, but a pain that struck the very core of his being.  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"  
  
***  
  
Ryu slowly woke up and opened his eyes. His entire body was extremely weak. His muscles felt tired and sore. It was the stangest feeling he'd ever experienced. He was having a powerful headache. It felt like his brain was going to burst in half. The sun seemed unbelievably bright. Wait a minute.....the sun?!  
  
Ryu quickly sat up and observed his surroundings. He was no longer in the dungeon. He seemed to be laying next to a lake. Or rather, he was in the lake. While his legs were resting in the water, they were too numb to feel its touch. 'How did I get out here?' he asked himself. 'Think Ryu think. The last thing I remember is.....fighting Sagat. But that doesn't explain what I'm doing here. Was all that just a dream. No, it couldn't be.'  
  
Ryu rolled over on his stomach and tried to stand. When he was almost in a standing position, however, he fell to his hands and knees. 'Come on, stand up,' he instructed himself. He placed his feet on the ground and slowly pushed himself to a standing position. He then proceeded to the nearby woods, walking with no real goal in mind.  
  
His legs tried to give way several times as he walked aimlessly through the woods. Each time he would barely catch himself before falling. He kept trying to remember what happened. However, as hard as he tried, the last thing he remembered was fighting Sagat.  
  
'Maybe my time in the dungeon was just a dream,' he thought. 'But if it was, then how far back does the dream go? Did I ever really fight Bison? Or does Bison even exist? What about my meeting with Ken? Or my fight with Akuma? A dream can't go that far back, can it? Maybe I'm dreaming right now.'  
  
All of these questions went through Ryu's mind without any definite answers. Then another thought came to him. He had no idea where he was. Not even what country he was in. All of these thoughts were making his headache worse. Suddenly, he could hear voices. He lifted his head to see that he had somehow wandered into a nearby village. There were no roads, and wooden huts were scattered everywhere. He looked at the villagers. They were all busy with their own forms of work, but the only thing he could really make out about them was that they appeared to be of Indian descent.  
  
His vision began to blur. A strange feeling came over his body and he fell to his knees. "Are you okay, mister?"  
  
Ryu looked up and saw a little girl staring back at him. It looked like she was fading into the background. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision, but it continued to blur. 'Oh man. I'm going to pass out,' he thought. He tried to fight it as long as he could, but he couldn't prevent the inevitable. Ryu fainted and fell face first onto the ground.  
  
***  
  
Ryu slowly began to wake up and open his eyes. His eyesight was still blurry. He concentrated and tried to make out where he was. It looked like he was in a small room filled with strange but beautiful decorations. He could smell the burn of incense nearby.  
  
He tried to sit up but found that he was still to weak to move. "Shh. Rest child. Go back to sleep," said a quiet, gentle voice beside him. Ryu rolled his head to see a bald, brown-skinned man standing above him. He was wearing a necklace with three skulls and had three red stripes painted over his head. His eyes were completely white. Before another thought could come to Ryu's mind, he fell asleep again.  
  
***  
  
Hours. Days. Weeks. No one can say for sure how long Ryu's deep slumber lasted. But his awakening was anything but subtle. He quickly sat up with his heart racing and his body covered in sweat. It seemed like he'd just had a nightmare but he was quickly forgetting what it was about.  
  
"It seems you are finally awake, Ryu."  
  
Ryu turned to see the same man he remembered from earlier. He was sitting cross-legged across the room on a white rug. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"  
  
"I am Dhalsim. I obtained your name by reading your mind while you were asleep. Because of your unconscious state I was only able to learn basic facts."  
  
"You read my mind?"  
  
"It's not as difficult as it sounds once you learn how to do it."  
  
Ryu then realized that his body was at full-health for the first time in what felt like forever. "Where am I?"  
  
"You are in my temple in India. The villagers brought you here after you passed out." Dhalsim stood up and walked over to where Ryu was lying. He then closed his eyes and placed his hands on the sides of Ryu's head.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"Just relax," Dhalsim replied.  
  
Ryu then too closed his eyes. A strange feeling came over his body. It was like he was going into a trance. After a few moments he was brought back to reality by the sound of a loud grunt. He opened his eyes to see Dhalsim staggering back holding his head. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I am fine," he answered. He sat himself back down on his rug. "You have the most complex mind I have ever seen. Reading one's mind usually doesn't have an adverse effect on me."  
  
"What did you see?" Ryu asked curiously.  
  
Dhalsim looked closely into his eyes. "Are you sure you want to know?" Ryu simply nodded his head. Dhalsim paused a moment as he thought about his next words. "I saw great confusion. You are confused about life. Constantly asking yourself why you are here. You can't explain why, but inside you feel that something just isn't right. In an attempt to escape all this confusion you turn to the only thing you truly understand....fighting. You travel the world competing in one tournament after another, hoping that somewhere you will find the answer to your questions. But deep inside you feel little actual hope that you will ever find what you are looking for, and therefore you wander the earth like a ghost with no true goal in mind. That is what I saw."  
  
Ryu looked at him with wide eyes, surprised at the accuracy of Dhalsim's reading. He couldn't have said it better if he tried. He lowered his head and thought for a moment. "If all I've been doing all this time is just looking for an answer, then what answer am I looking for?"  
  
"I am afraid I am not the one who can answer that for you. I can, however, guide you on the correct path. If you wish I will tell you where Ken is."  
  
"You saw him too?"  
  
"Yes. Now please be patient. It will take a moment for me to find him." Dhalsim closed his eyes and went into a deep meditation. After what seemed like only a few seconds he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "He is on his way to Moscow to fight in a tournament. If you leave now you may be able to meet him there."  
  
"How did you find him?"  
  
"I sensed his life force."  
  
"But that's in another country!"  
  
"All the power in the universe is hidden within the mind. If you look deep enough, anything is possible. Your injuries are healed. You may go now."  
  
Ryu stood up and walked toward the exit. He was still in awe of the amazing power displayed by Dhalsim. Just when he was about to leave, Dhalsim spoke to him again. "Ryu. A word of warning. Once you find your friend, something will happen to you that will change your life forever. Something that no person should ever have to endure. That is all."  
  
Without another word spoken, Ryu reluctantly left the temple and once again began his journey towards destiny.  
  
***  
  
The tournament took place in a large factory. As usual, Ken had easily advanced to the finals. This was his first tournament since the incident with Bison. He'd been invited several weeks ago and was hoping that it would help him stop worrying about Ryu's safety.  
  
At last the announcer began to speak. "His opponent. The champion of Russia....the Red Cyclone, Zangief! A cloud of smoke exploded before a dark entrance and a huge mountain of muscle appeared from it. The Russian crowd went crazy. Zangief walked toward the fighting area wearing a long red cape. Ken had heard of this man. He was practically a hero in Russia. He trained by wrestling bears, and was quite possibly the strongest man on earth. Zangief slowly removed his cape while spinning around, showing off his powerful physique.  
  
The bell rang. Ken hopped up and down on his toes while Zangief swung his arms back and forth. Ken slowly inched his way forward before punching Zangief twice in the stomach. Then he jumped straight up and threw a roundkick to his face. As soon as he landed, however, he saw Zangief just staring at him completely unphased. "It's like hitting metal," Ken thought. Zangief gave him a hard clothesline to the head, knocking him to the floor. Ken stood as quickly as he could and kicked his opponent on the side of the knee. Zangief didn't budge. Instead he grabbed the sides of Ken's head and picked him up. Then he began squeezing his head. Ken felt like his skull was going to burst open. He kicked Zangief in the chest and pushed himself away. Zangief released him, and Ken landed on his feet. Ken then leaped into the air and spun into a hurricane kick.  
  
"Senpuu Kyaku!"  
  
Ken flew towards him with incredible speed. Suprisingly, Zangief caught his foot in midflight and picked him up over his head. He then slammed Ken backfirst onto his knee and let him roll to the floor. The crowd was going mad with excitement. Before Ken could react, Zangief wrapped his arms around his waist and sent him crashing into the concrete with a German suplex. Instead of letting go, Zangief turned, stood up, and slammed him again with another suplex. He stood up and flexed his muscles for his fans while letting out a powerful roar. A loud Russia chant was exploding over the arena, signaling for Zangief to finish off his opponent.  
  
Zangief walked towards Ken's body and picked him up. He then turned him upside down and jumped high into the air while spinning in circles. He then drove Ken headfirst into the hard concrete. He stood up and raised both index fingers into the air, causing another powerful ovation. Ken's entire body was numb. He was fighting to remain conscious. He opened his eyes and moved his fingers. 'I can't let him win,' he thought to himself. 'I'm not going to lose to this freak.'  
  
Ken rolled over on his stomach and slowly stood to his feet. The crowd gasped. No one had ever gotten up from that attack before. Zangief looked as shocked as any of them. 'I can't fight him head on,' Ken thought. 'I have to change my stragety.' Zangief began to slowly walk toward him, but Ken fired a hadoken blast at his stomach, causing him to back up a step. He once again approached, but Ken threw another blast, this time to the face. The attack singed a few of the hairs on his beard. Zangief continued to advance toward Ken as he threw one hadoken after another. When in range, Zangief attempted to grab him. Ken ducked the attack and rolled in between his legs. He then jumped up and kicked him in the back of the head, sending him stumbling away. The crowd was booing and Zangief was obviously getting frustrated. He quickly turned around and ran toward Ken at full speed. Ken stood still waiting for the right moment to strike. When that moment came, he hopped forward a short distance and gave him a powerful uppercut to the chin.  
  
"Sho.....!"  
  
Ken repeated the attack again with his fist wrapped in flames.  
  
"Ryu.....!"  
  
He then rocketed high into the air, burning Zangief's flesh as he slammed his fist into his jaw.  
  
"REPPA!"  
  
He floated back to the ground with smoke rising from his fist as Zangief fell to the floor. 'Surely, he's not going to get up from that,' Ken thought. Out of nowhere, Zangief sat up more pissed off than ever. Half of his beard was now missing because of Ken's attack. Ken watched in shock and readied his fighting stance once again. As soon as Zangief was on his feet, however, he rolled his eyes up and fell backwards, causing the concrete to break and the ground to shake as he landed.  
  
Ken breathed a sigh of relief and rested his hands on his knees. The crowd was booing relentlessly. Ken could barely hear himself think. All of a sudden, a beer bottle came flying from the crowd, aimed at Ken's face. Ken chopped it in mid-flight and shattered it to pieces. 'What the hell?! Guess I underestimated how popular this guy is.' He noticed that the fans were slowly closing in on him. 'Don't have a choice,' he thought. 'Looks like I'm gonna have to fight my way out.'  
  
Ken dashed toward the crowd and tried to push and shove his way out. As expected, the Russian crowd fought back. Some of them were armed with weapons. Ken was throwing punches and kicks left and right, knocking out one person after another. He was quickly wearing down, however. Zangief's power moves and all the chi based attacks he used to finish him off had left him very exhausted. 'Crap, I can't fight these guys forever.'  
  
Ken felt his back bump into somebody. He quickly turned around, and to his great surprise, saw Ryu staring back at him. "Ryu?"  
  
"Come on. Let's get out of here." Together the two warriors managed to fight their way out of the arena.  
  
***  
  
Ryu and Ken were on their way back to the hotel room that Ken had been staying in. The factory in which the previous tournament took place was several miles from any civilization for safety reasons. The night was dark, and the roads were almost completely empty of any traffic. Ryu had been unnaturally quiet, even for him, since the beginning of the ride.  
  
Ken touched the top of his head and watched the blood drip down his fingers. "Damn psycho busted me open," he said. He looked over at Ryu who was just sitting there, staring at the floorboard. "Yo Ryu, you all right? You still haven't told me what happened to you."  
  
Ryu looked back at him. "Sorry. I would tell you, but I'm not real sure myself. I thought I was put in some dungeon, but the other day I woke up somewhere else with no idea how I got there."  
  
"Man, that's messed up," Ken said. A large semi-truck appeared in the distance. Suddenly, Ken began to notice that it was slowly coming into his lane. "What the...?!" Ken swerved to avoid the truck and crashed into the ditch. Luckily, it was one of those rare moments when both Ryu and Ken were both wearing their seatbelts, so neither man was injured. The truck had stopped in the middle of the road. Ken stormed out of the car, visibly pissed off, as Ryu followed closely behind. "Hey! What the fuck do you think you're doing you asshole!"  
  
The door of the truck opened, and out of it stepped Balrog followed by Birdie and Cracker Jack, who was holding a baseball bat. Ryu instantly recognized Balrog. "Ken! They're with Shadowloo!"  
  
Ken stared back at Ryu with a surprised look then looked back at the three Shadowloo fighters. "I see. So is it mandatory that all you Shadowlaw punks have to look like retards?"  
  
"You can just stay back, prettyboy. We're only here for Mr. Karate over there," Balrog said while pointing at Ryu.  
  
"Sorry guys, but that would be unfair. If you want to fight him you'll have to fight me too."  
  
Balrog shrugged his shoulders. "Your funeral." He looked back at his partners. "You two keep him busy while I take care of the other guy," he instructed. Then he glared back at Ryu. "Don't think I forgot what you did. You got lucky last time, but your little chop suey moves ain't gonna work today."  
  
Ken stepped into his fighting stance. "This is getting boring. Hey Ryu, lets say we show these thugs what a real fighter can do."  
  
"Fine by me," Ryu answered as he got into his own defensive stance.  
  
Jack dashed toward Ken and swung his bat vertically in an attempt to bash his head in. Ken quickly dodjed to the side. Jack recovered and swung the bat again. Ken ducked and kicked the bat out of his hand. Then he spun around and kicked him in the stomach. Finally, he jumped up and knocked him to the ground by swinging his leg across Jack's face. But then Birdie came out of nowhere and tackled Ken on his back. He then proceeded to beat him down with a long series of punches. Birdie wrapped his chain around Ken's neck and lifted him off the ground. As Ken hung suspended in midair, Jack got up and began punching him furiously in the stomach.  
  
Ryu and Balrog circled each other, waiting for the other to strike. At last, Balrog threw a left hook at Ryu's head. Ryu ducked the attack. Balrog's punches proved faster than expected, however, and he managed to catch Ryu with an uppercut. Ryu staggered back. During this short moment of vurnerability, Balrog dashed and threw a long combination of punches. Instead of blocking the attacks like he did last time, Ryu dodjed them to avoid damage to his arms. When he saw the oppurtunity, he hit him with a punch to the side of the ribs. Balrog let out a loud grunt but quickly recovered. He grabbed Ryu by the collar and gave him three hard headbutts followed by a right straight that sent him on his back.  
  
Ken was suffocating. He could feel his life escaping him. He tried to ease the chain's pressure with his fingers, but it was no use. Then an idea came to his head. Using every muscle in his body, he twisted around and burst into a hurricane kick. The force of the move broke the chain and struck both fighters. His foot smashed into Birdie's face once, but the majority of the attack hit Jack. As Ken landed, he sweeped him off of his feet. He could hear Birdie running at him from behind. He spun around and fired a hadoken blast when Birdie was only a few feet away. Birdie flew back to the ground with smoke rising from his body.  
  
Ryu continued to swiftly avoid Balrog's endless stream of punches. He never seemed to get exhausted. His aggressive style was difficult to defend against at first, but Ryu was beginning to adapt to it. After ducking one particular punch he hit him several times in the stomach. Then he jumped up, spun around, and sent his heel directly into Balrog's eye. Balrog stumbled backwards while holding his injury. He looked at Ryu with hate in his eyes and rushed towards him in a blind fury. Just as he was about to deliver a crushing blow, Ryu threw a simple kick straight into his ankle and knocked him off balance. As Balrog fell forward, Ryu squatted down and exploded into the air with a fierce dragon punch.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
While Ken was watching Birdie's fallen form, Jack got up and slipped on some brass knuckles. He threw a punch to the back of Ken's head. Ken somehow heard him coming and moved his head to the side. Then he grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder. Jack got up and tried to hit him with the brass knucks again. Ken blocked it and gave him a front kick to the stomach, causing him to bend over. He then jumped up and slammed both feet on top of his head, sending him face first on the ground. Ken bounced high into the air. He did a backflip in midair and landed next to Ryu. "You guys about ready to give up?" he asked. "We can keep this up if you insist."  
  
A lone cyborg was watching from the truck, allowing Bison to watch every move of this confrontation, along with Sagat. "No offense Lord Bison, but surely you must have known this would happen," Sagat said. "What exactly was the point of this fight."  
  
An evil smirk appeared upon Bison's face. "Just a little experiment. You see, Ryu's escape was unexpected, but the way he did it was even more so."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Don't act stupid, Sagat. You saw those guards. Ryu may be alot of things, but he certainly isn't what I would call a murderer."  
  
"I don't follow you, sir. What is it you're trying to say?"  
  
Bison's eyes turned a dark blue color. "Just watch."  
  
As Ryu waited for his opponents to stand, a strange feeling came over him. At first it was a simple tingling sensation, but soon it felt as if his blood were on fire. Every muscle in his body felt like it was going to explode. He bent over and clutched his stomach, not understanding what was happening to him. He looked up. Everything looked like it was shaking as if a violent earthquake were attacking the land. His vision changed a blood red color, and then everything faded away.  
  
Ken noticed his friend and slowly approached him. "Ryu, are you okay?"  
  
Then, out of nowhere, Ryu turned and slammed his fist deep into Ken's solar plexus. Ken looked at him in shock. "Ryu?" Ryu spun around and kicked Ken hard in the face, sending him several feet in the distance.  
  
The three Shadowloo thugs looked on, confused by the bizarre events happening before them. Ryu stood to his full height and slowly looked in their direction. In the blink of an eye, Ryu appeared before Jack and punched him in the chest, causing him to slide away on his back. Before Balrog could react, Ryu threw a spinning kick to the stomach and knocked him on his back. Birdie clutched his hands together and raised them above his head, preparing to chop them down on Ryu's skull. Ryu grabbed his hands and forcefully spread them apart. Birdie tried to fight out of his grip, but his strength was like nothing he'd ever witnessed. Ryu then snapped both of Birdie's wrists, causing him to scream in pain. Ryu turned around and flung him away.  
  
Balrog tried to punch him from behind, but Ryu grabbed his arm and broke it over his shoulder. Balrog let out a horrible cry and fell to the ground. Ryu raised his foot and slammed it down on top of Balrog's chest.  
  
Jack reached for his bat and crawled to his feet. He snuck up on Ryu and swung it as hard as he could. The bat struck Ryu, but he didn't budge. Instead the bat was smashed to splinters. Jack dropped his hands to his sides. "What the hell........?" Ryu turned around and gave Jack a knife hand chop to the throat. Jack fell down, holding his throat and struggling to breath.  
  
Sagat watched in horror. "What....what have you done to him?"  
  
"I made him stronger. He's one of us now. Isn't it beautiful? Just look at the chaos he has caused. Even his best friend lies broken at his feet. I've taken the world's greatest fighter and made him into the ultimate weapon. With him on our side the world will be begging on its knees!" Bison's psychotic ramblings almost sounded like laughter.  
  
"What about me?! Have you forgotten why I mentioned Ryu to you in the first place?! What of my revenge?!"  
  
"Childish nonsense! You work for me now! You have no use for something as petty as revenge! My word is all that matters!"  
  
"No! I'm through with being your puppet!" Sagat aimed a punch at Bison's head. However, a powerful force stopped his fist in midflight. His entire body was then thrown against the opposite wall.  
  
Bison rotated his chair and stood. "You ungrateful little insect. Have you forgotten the power that I command?"  
  
Sagat stood to his feet. "I don't care about your power. I will destroy you!" Sagat ran toward him at full speed. But suddenly, he found it impossible to move. Sagat struggled for a moment and was then forced down to his hands and knees. He looked up and saw a powerful blue flame surrounding Bison's body.  
  
"Look at you. You've become so obsessed with pretending that you're the greatest warrior who's ever existed that you've forgotten who is really in charge. You are nothing Sagat.....nothing but a second rate fighter!"  
  
A powerful, blue lightning bolt shot forth from Bison's body. Sagat was struck with the deadly beam and crashed into the wall. He slid down to the floor. As he felt his consciousness slip away from him, those words repeated in his mind. They hurt him worse than any punch or kick possibly could. 'Nothing but a second rate fighter.'  
  
Ken climbed to his feet and looked in Ryu's direction. He'd seen everything that Ryu had done. Never in his life had he ever seen Ryu act so...violent. It was so different from him. Ryu turned around to face him. What Ken next saw frightened him to the depths of his soul.  
  
Ryu's muscles bulged to a level that no human could possibly atain. His teeth had become sharp like fangs. But what really caught his attention was his eyes. They burned red like the fires of hell. Ryu squatted down into his hadoken stance. Before long, a powerful ball of chi burned in his palms. Ken slowly walked toward him with his guard down. "Ryu, what's wrong? Why are you doing this?" Ryu emitted a quiet moan that sounded almost like growling. "Come on, Ryu. Don't you recognize me? It's me, Ken." Ken was now standing right next to him. He placed his hand on Ryu's shoulder. "Ryu, please don't."  
  
Ryu threw his hands forward and fired a hadoken blast unlike any other, straight into the chest of his best friend. Ken flew backwards 40ft. and landed on the hard pavement. "Ryu....." was the last thing he uttered before losing consciousness. Smoke rose from Ryu's hands. His body slowly returned to normal. He fell face first on the ground and fell into a deep slumber, along with the men that he had just help destroy. And then everything was silent. For within all the chaos and mayhem of this dark moment in history, the only thing that could truly be heard was the horrific laughter of Bison. 


	7. The Fallen Champion

The Fallen Champion  
  
Ryu woke up and found himself in a very dark place. Their was a thick mist in the air that barely allowed him to see two feet in front of him. The ground was cold and hard with no grass. The place itself was unbearably cold. The area was completely devoid of any life. There was no joy. There was no happiness. Only emptiness.  
  
Ryu walked aimlessly through the dark valley. He could hear voices inside his head....voices so soft he could barely hear them.  
  
PAIN  
  
DESTRUCTION  
  
DEATH  
  
AGONY  
  
SUFFERING  
  
PUNISHMENT  
  
ETERNAL PUNISHMENT  
  
Ryu looked forward into the darkness. He could see figures in the distance. As he came closer, he recognized the figures as gravestones. Upon each one was the name of someone Ryu had met during his travels.  
  
GUILE  
  
CHUN LI  
  
DAN  
  
DHALSIM  
  
ROSE  
  
KEN  
  
GOUKEN  
  
"What is this?" he whispered. His voice echoed throughout the dark valley. A loud thunderclap boomed in his ears causing him to jump back. He felt something crunch under his foot. He looked down and saw the shattered remains of a human skull. "What's going on?!" he yelled in a paniced tone of voice. "Where am I?!" For a moment Ryu considered the possibility that this was just another illusion similar to the one he experienced with Rose. 'No. Not even her illusion was this real. This can't possibly be a dream. But how did I get in this awful place?' Never in Ryu's life had he felt as afraid as he had in this moment.  
  
"What's wrong Ryu?" asked a voice suddenly behind him. Ryu quickly turned around to see Bison. "You seem discouraged."  
  
"What have you done you monster?!"  
  
Instead of giving a direct answer, Bison unleashed an insane laughter while another thunderclap exploded in the sky. "You have just as much a right to ask yourself that question as you do me, my little puppet," he said.  
  
Ryu took a step back. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Don't you recognize this Ryu? Don't you recognize your own masterpiece? This is our world. You helped me create it."  
  
"No! No, I don't believe you!"  
  
The gravestones began to shift and make a circle around the two warriors. "It seems you have regained your humanity. Such a pity. I guess I have no choice but to destroy you as well."  
  
Ryu's survival instincts suddenly took control of him, as he ran toward Bison with an animal warcry. He slammed his fist into Bison's face as hard as he could, but Bison didn't even budge. Instead, he swatted Ryu to the ground with a simple swipe of his hand. Ryu got up and threw a hado blast at his opponent. It crashed into him head-on but had no effect on him. Bison teleported behind him and punched him in the spine.  
  
Ryu fell to his knees. He quickly crawled away but was unable to stand. He turned to face Bison, who was once again laughing at the top of his lungs. Bison raised his hands beside him and turned his face to the heavens. As if answering his call, the sky began raining down blood. Ryu had never seen anything like it. Bison spun around in circles in a euphoric state as the blood dripped down his body. Then he faced Ryu.  
  
"Isn't it beautiful, Ryu?! Isn't this what you want?! Blood and chaos?! Admit it! This is what you live for! This is what you feed off of! Why would you want to give up your own creation?!"  
  
Ryu shook his head in a trance-like state as the blood trickled down his face. "No. I couldn't have done this. I'm not like you."  
  
"Of course you are! Everyone is! The only thing that separates us from others is that we embrace our own insanity!"  
  
"I'M NOT LIKE YOU!" With that Ryu dashed forward while unleashing a storm of punches and kicks. He made sure that every attack hit its target. And yet Bison remained unharmed. It felt as if he was hitting concrete. But still he continued fighting in hopes that he would strike him down. After several minutes of nonstop offense, however, exhaustion began to take over his body. He backed away, barely able to hold his hands in front of him.  
  
Bison glided towards him like a ghost and began tearing his fists into Ryu. Each horrible blow brought massive devastation. Ryu eventually fell to the ground in a puddle of blood. His face had been beaten to a bloody pulp. He could sense Bison coming toward him. He crawled to his feet and threw a punch in desperation. The punch landed on Bison's chest, but once again had no effect. Bison swung his huge, metal boot into Ryu's face, sending him to his hands and knees. He then grabbed Ryu's head and slammed it into one of the gravestones causing him to bleed from his forehead. Ryu slowly lifted his head and looked at the grave in front of him.  
  
RYU  
  
Suddenly, Bison's hand burst from the ground underneath him and grabbed him by the neck. Ryu struggled against his grip but was unable to free himself from Bison's iron grasp. Slowly, Bison pulled him into the ground. Ryu then found himself falling. Falling towards an endless sea of fire. From within the flames he could hear screams of torment and misery. He continued to fall towards the bottomless inferno. Ryu let out one last helpless cry and was then consumed by the fire.  
  
***  
  
Ryu sat up with a loud scream. He put his hand on his forehead to see if he was bleeding and felt his heart to make sure he was still alive. He was too busy trying to comprehend what just happened to him to realize what was going on now. He didn't even notice when Ken came into the room.  
  
"Ryu are you okay?"  
  
"Huh?!  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"W...where am I?!"  
  
"Relax. You're back in America. You've been asleep for four days."  
  
Ryu now began to study his surroundings a little more. He was in a bed in the same room of Ken's mansion he'd been staying in before. His headband was sitting by a lamp next to him and his duffel bag was resting in the corner of the room. He returned his focus back to Ken who had an uncharacteristically stern look on his face. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.  
  
"Ryu do you remember what happened?"  
  
Ryu tried to remember his earliest memory, but his mind was a complete blank. "No, I don't remember anything."  
  
"We were attacked by a bunch of Shadowlaw thugs. In the middle of the fight, you went berzerk and almost killed them. Then you attacked me." Ken paused to see Ryu's reaction. Ryu looked at him in shock. Ken continued. "When I woke up, you were out of it. I called Guile and he helped us get back here."  
  
Ryu couldn't believe what he was hearing. What was even more surprising was that he couldn't remember any of this. Then he began to recall something Bison had said to him.  
  
'Now with Shadowloo at my command and the world begging on its knees, I am closer to conquering the world than ever. I'm so close I can feel it. And you will help me take that last step.'  
  
'I'll never help a monster like you.'  
  
'You act as if you have a choice.'  
  
"Bison....he did something to me. I think he's controlling me somehow." Ryu put his feet on the floor and rested his face in his hands. "I just had a dream....or a vision? I don't know what it was, but he was in my head. It seemed so real. It wasn't like a dream at all."  
  
"Shit," Ken whispered. "Guile said something like this could happen. Ryu what are we going to do about this?"  
  
"I don't know," Ryu answered, shaking his head.  
  
There was a long akward silence in the air before Ken decided to speak again. "Look, why don't you just rest in here. I'll get you some coffee." Ken left the room, leaving Ryu alone with his thoughts.  
  
Ryu took his headband with both hands and stared at it. 'I've spent my whole life training to become the best fighter in the world. Is all that work going to come back to haunt me now that Bison is controlling me?' He remembered the "dream" he'd just had and realized that it could become reality. 'Is it possible that I could bring about the end of the world?'  
  
The terrifying thought made a chill go up his spine. Ryu lifted his hands and began tying his headband. He could then hear voices outside the room.  
  
"He's a dangerous man. He should be put somewhere where he won't be able hurt anyone," said Guile.  
  
"It wasn't his fault," Ken said. "Bison was controlling him."  
  
"Exactly. Bison can use him whenever he wants. We should arrest him right now."  
  
"Guile, don't you think you're being a little harsh?" said Chun Li. "He didn't know what he was doing. We should be helping him right now."  
  
"Don't any of you understand what he is? I know he's your friend, but he's also a threat to the world's safety." Guile turned his head to see Ryu standing at the doorway of his room, staring at him. "I'm sorry, but that's how I feel." Guile turned around and walked away.  
  
Eliza was also with them. She walked toward Ryu with concern in her eyes. "Would you like me to fix you some hot cakes?"  
  
"No thanks," he said. "I'm not hungry."  
  
"What do you mean you're not hungry?" asked Ken. "You haven't eaten in four days."  
  
Ryu walked by them to go outside. "I said I'm not hungry."  
  
***  
  
Sagat stood in the middle of his gym surrounded by dozens of fallen street fighters that he'd challenged personally. Almost all of them were unconscious and most of them had broken bones or internal injuries. One of them tried to stand. Sagat kicked him hard across the face, causing his jaw to snap.  
  
'Damn that Bison,' he thought angrily. 'After all I've done for him and Shadowloo, he simply tosses me aside as if I were a common lackey? I am not one of his little stooges! I am the strongest fighter in the world!'  
  
Bison's words continued to haunt him. 'Nothing but a second-rate fighter.' Sagat remembered how hard he tried to defeat him. But his power was too great to even come close to him.  
  
He then remembered what Ryu had told him in the dungeon. 'You've lost your warrior's pride. You don't even care how you win as long as you do. You've forgotten the true meaning of the fight.'  
  
'Maybe they're right,' he thought. 'Perhaps I am not great champion that I've fooled myself into believing.' He could hear one of the street fighters standing up behind him. 'But one thing is for certain.' Sagat turned around and slammed his fist into the side of the man's head, knocking him out instantly.  
  
'I can no longer work for Bison. I refuse to be one of his little slaves a moment longer. But if I leave Shadowloo now, he will certainly kill me.' Sagat had come to accept the fact that there was nothing he could do against Bison.  
  
'Very well. If it is my destiny to die now, then so be it. But I will not die by his hand.' Sagat began walking toward the exit of his gym amidst the fallen bodies of those he'd just defeated. 'There is but one man who is worthy of sending me to my grave.'  
  
Sagat placed his hand upon the scar on his chest as he marched toward his final battle. 'There is but one man.'  
  
***  
  
Fire. Fire as far as the eye could see. "Where am I now?" Ryu asked himself. He twisted and spun around, trying to find a way out. He looked up into the sky. The flames stretched up like skycrapers. He looked down but couldn't see the ground that he was standing on. It was incredibly hot, but somehow the fire didn't burn his skin. Sweat poured down his body. "Where are you Bison! Show yourself!"  
  
A shadow appeared from within the fire. Ryu readied his fighting stance and prepared for whatever might attack him. The shadow took a step forward and revealed itself to be Ken. "You tried to kill me Ryu. Why? I thought you were my friend."  
  
Ryu lowered his guard. "Ken...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I don't know what came over me."  
  
Ken punched him twice, then jumped up and threw a round kick to the face. Ryu landed face first on what could only be described as the ground. 'How does it feel?' asked Ken's echoing voice in his head. 'How does it feel to be betrayed by your best friend?'  
  
Ryu could feel invisible hands clawing at his back and ripping his shirt off. He looked up and saw Ken and Bison standing side by side. He walked towards them. "Ken, what are you doing? Get away from him." Ken answered with a powerful punch to the lip that sent Ryu staggering to one knee. He then disappeared, leaving Ryu and Bison alone.  
  
"It would seem that your friend no longer trusts you. No matter. You don't need him. What are friends when you are the strongest fighter in the world?"  
  
"Stop doing this. Stop playing these games with my head."  
  
"Why do you keep resisting me? Can't you see that I am the only one who can give you what you really want?"  
  
"You just want to use me so you can destroy the world."  
  
"Look at yourself Ryu. You've been fighting from the time you were born. When was the last time you really accomplished something with your life? With me you can fight and conquer the planet at the same time. You can take anything you want. Who are you to deny this urge?"  
  
"Get out of my head!" Ryu fired a hadoken blast at Bison. Suddenly, there was a flash of white light and everything disappeared. Ryu found himself standing in a dark, empty space. He turned around and saw a gigantic version of Bison towering over him. He looked down and saw that he was standing in Bison's hand. Slowly, his fingers began to close in on him.  
  
"RYU! I AM YOUR MASTER! YOU WILL SUBMIT TO ME, OR YOU WILL BE CRUSHED!" Ryu wanted to escaped but didn't know where to run. Bison's fingers wrapped around him and began crushing his bones. Ryu let out a blood chilling scream before waking up.  
  
***  
  
Ryu bolted straight up, drenched in sweat. He rolled out of bed and landed on the floor. He squeezed his eyes as tight as he could and tried to dig his fingernails into the floor. It took him several minutes to realize that he was no longer dreaming.  
  
He stood up and walked to the nearest bathroom. Once there, he stood in front of the sink and splashed some cold water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. It was obvious that he wasn't getting the sleep that he needed.  
  
These dreams had been going on for about a week. Each one was more disturbing than the last. All of them seemed to involve Bison, and all of them ended with him being mutilated in some way. Ryu was beginning to question whether or not these could even be considered dreams. They didn't feel like dreams. They felt real. Whenever Ryu was hit, crushed, cut, or burned he could feel it, sometimes even after he'd woken up. And when he did wake up, it wasn't quite like waking up. It was more like being transported back to his bed. 'What is happening to me?' Ryu asked himself.  
  
Ryu walked back to his room. He dreaded the thought of going back to bed. He looked at the clock. 10:30 a.m. It was later than he thought. He decided to see if anything was happening downstairs. Once their he saw Ken sitting on the couch across from a Chinese man with black hair, wearing black silk clothes and slippers. During Ryu's short time in Ken's home, he noticed that it wasn't unusual for him to have guests over regularly. Aside from being an internationally respected martial artist, Ken had also made many good friends all over the world. Unlike Ryu.  
  
Ken looked over his shoulder and saw Ryu enter the room. After his dream, Ryu found it a little akward to look Ken in the eye. "Hey Ryu. Meet Fei Long. Star of The Dragon's Fist."  
  
"Hi." Ryu had honestly never heard of the movie, but he didn't want it to show.  
  
Fei Long stood up and walked over to shake his hand. "You wouldn't happen to be the same Ryu who beat Sagat would you?"  
  
A smile forced itself to Ryu's lips. To this day, he was still amazed how people made such a big deal about that one fight. "That's right," he answered.  
  
"So the rumors are true." He looked back at Ken. "I always assumed Ken was joking about training with you."  
  
Ken shrugged his shoulders and flashed his normal, sarcastic grin. "Oh come on. You know I always speak the truth."  
  
"Yeah right," he said jokingly. He then turned his attention back to Ryu. "I hear you travel alot. Ever managed to see any of my movies?"  
  
Ryu didn't want to lie. "I'm afraid not," he replied nervously.  
  
"Ryu's not much of a movie-buff," Ken interjected. "He prefers to make his own action."  
  
"I can understand that," Fei Long said. "I'm into movies just for the glamour anyway. My real passion is Street Fighting." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like an invitation. "There's gonna be a tournament tonight at eight by the docks. Ken said that he'll be too busy to attend. I would be honored if you were to fight in his place."  
  
Ryu stared at the invitation for a moment. He'd never declined a challenge before in his life, but for some reason he hesitated. He slowly reached out his hand and took it. "I'll see you there."  
  
"Good. Who knows? Maybe we'll end up fighting each other." A smirk appeared on his face as he said those words. He turned around and walked to the door. "See ya later, Ken. It's been a pleasure."  
  
"Sure thing," Ken called back. As soon as Fei Long left, he turned and looked at Ryu. "You're not really going to go to that tournament are you?"  
  
"Why not? I haven't done anything since...well you know."  
  
Ken sighed and stood up. "Ryu don't you think you need to relax for awhile? I told Fei that I wasn't coming so I could look after you."  
  
"You really don't have to do that, Ken. And yes, I am going."  
  
"Damn it Ryu! What if it happens again? Before it was just me and those Shadowlaw guys. That tournament is going to be packed with people."  
  
"I'm not some animal that needs to be kept in a cage. I'm going to go crazy if I stay cooped up in this place. I promise I can control myself."  
  
"What if you can't?"  
  
"I can."  
  
"But what if you can't?" Ken repeated slowly.  
  
Ryu took a deep breath as he contemplated his next words. He didn't know what to say that would make Ken trust him. "Ken...don't you realize that fighting is the only thing in my life that makes any sense? If I can't do that, then I may as well just lay down and die."  
  
Ken didn't know how to respond. Ryu walked by him and left the mansion. He didn't know where he was going. He was just walking. Eliza had been watching from a distance the whole time. She approached Ken as he stared at the door and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Aren't you going to stop him?"  
  
"There's nothing else I can do. For a guy who has so much self-control, Ryu can sure be stubborn sometimes. He's going to fight in that tournament no matter what I say. Ryu's going through a tough time in his life right now, and he needs to get through it on his own. All we can do is pray for the best."  
  
***  
  
The time is now 11:00 p.m. Ryu has wasted his whole day walking around the town and trying to organize his thoughts. The trees and the grass. The wind blowing across his face. Children playing. At one time, these little things that most people take for granted meant so much to him. But ever since his nightmares began, everything seems far away. The things around him are as if they have lost their color. Nothing feels real anymore.  
  
But you always come back to the one you love. By some ironic twist of fate, Ryu wandered to the docks where the tournament was taking place just half an hour before it began. Ryu signed up for the tournament and waited for it to begin. He watched the fans buy tickets and load onto the boats where they would be watching the event. Ryu had never given much thought to the fans before. Before, he only concentrated on him and his opponents. But now he found himself watching them with a strange fascination.  
  
'Look at all these people,' he thought. 'Each of them with their own little lives. They work all day and then come here for entertainment. I wonder how they can be so content to live such ordinary lives. Doesn't anyone feel the same as I?'  
  
At last, the tournament began. As usual, he fought through the competition and defeated everyone in his path. But something was different. Ryu didn't feel the adrenaline rush that normally accompanied the fight. He didn't feel the sense of purpose after winning. He just felt empty.  
  
Finally, he made his way to the finals. His opponent was none other than Fei Long. Fei Long did some basic stretching techniques as he waited for the match to begin. The crowd cheered loudly when the announcer called his name. He was, after all, the star of many of their favorite movies. Fei Long waved to the fans and faced Ryu. He held his fist in front of him and bowed. "It will be an honor to fight with you, sir."  
  
Ryu simply nodded and went into his fighting position. After several seconds passed, Fei Long rushed toward him and threw a lightning fast combination of handstrikes. Ryu stood his ground as he skillfully blocked and dodjed the attacks. He ducked a straight knife-hand strike aimed at his throat and punched him in the side. He then punched him in the jaw and finished the combination with a left uppercut to the chin.  
  
Fei Long staggered back but didn't go down. He quickly spun around and tried to sweep him. Ryu hopped over his leg. When he landed Fei Long was already on his feet and threw a kick to the head. Ryu blocked the kick, surprised by his opponent's quickness. Fei Long threw another kick to the side, then spun around and fired a sidekick. Ryu blocked the kicks and backed away to gain some distance.  
  
Fei Long waited to see if he would attack. When he didn't, he jumped toward him and spun around. As he fell to the ground, he threw kick with both feet. Ryu avoided the attack and countered with his own barrage of punches. Both men were on the offensive now. Both threw one punch after another while blocking the other's attacks as well. The crowd cheered at the awesome display of skill and stamina. At one point, both fighters threw a backfist at the same time, clashing each others forearms. The two stood still for a moment, waiting for the other to make a move. Fei Long then fired a quick side kick to the stomach. Ryu blocked with his knee and jumped up to do a spinning side kick. His foot struck Fei Long in the face and sent him to his back for the first time in the fight.  
  
Fei Long kicked back up to his feet almost as soon as he landed. He paused and studied his opponent. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Before Ryu could capitalize on his supposed vurnerability, Fei Long shot forth and punched him in the face in an attack that was near impossible to see with the human eye. Ryu now found himself trying to block a series of punches that could barely be seen. A few of the moves actually broke through his defense. Ryu realized he wouldn't be able to block all these attacks. In one fluid motion, he moved out of the path of Fei Long's attack and kicked him in the back. Fei Long turned around and tried to rush toward him again. Ryu dodjed to the side and sweeped him off his feet.  
  
Ryu moved closer to his opponent to finish him off. Suddenly, he felt the chi in Fei Long's body take a giant leap. Ryu leaned back just as Fei Long rocketed into the air with his leg engulfed in fire in an upward kicking attack. The momentum caused him to spin several times in midair as he continued his rise. As the flames exstinguished and he began to fall back to the earth, he saw Ryu coming toward him quickly in an uppercut technique.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Fei Long's head snapped back upon contact with the move and sent him flying into the water. The energy he used for his previous techniques and the power of the dragon punch left him unable to continue. Ryu walked to the edge of the dock and reached his hand down to help him out. Once out of the water, Fei Long lied on his back and tried to catch his breath. "You're...even stronger than I expected," he managed to say. "I can see...why you are the champion."  
  
***  
  
Ryu slowly walked back to Ken's mansion. He'd just had a good match and won. But something just didn't feel right. 'Is this what my life has come to?' Ryu thought. 'My dreams feel like reality and my reality feels like a dream?'  
  
The streets were dark and empty. Ryu was summoned from his thoughts when a loud, thundering voice called out his name. "RYUUUUUUUUUUU!"  
  
Ryu looked into a nearby alley and saw a huge, shadowy figure staring back at him. Ryu slowly approached the dark figure until he recognized his features. "Sagat!" Ryu quickly backed into a defensive stance. "What are you doing here?! How did you find me?!"  
  
"Shadowloo has been keeping a close eye on you Ryu. They know where you are at all times. But I am not here for their purposes. I have left that wretched organization."  
  
Ryu relaxed a bit when he heard that last part, though not much. "You left Shadowloo?"  
  
Sagat nodded his head. "Yes. But it isn't as easy as it sounds. You see, the only way out of Shadowloo is death."  
  
Ryu dropped his fists and listened carefully as his rival continued. "I've been thinking about what you said to me. You were right. I've become so focused on being the champion that I've forgotten the true meaning of the fight. I have made a terrible mistake by selling my soul to Bison. But now I realize that I would rather die in honor than to be his slave for him a moment longer."  
  
"What are you trying to say?"  
  
"Ryu. I here by challenge you....to a fight to the death."  
  
"What?"  
  
"My legacy is coming to an end. I can no longer work for Bison. I would rather die by your hand than Bison's." Sagat reached up rippe off his eyepatch. He slowly opened his disfigured, pupil-less eye. "You have shown me the path of the warrior. I trust you to carry on my legacy after my death."  
  
Ryu contemplated his current situation before shaking his head. "No."  
  
"What do you mean, no?"  
  
"I do not fight to kill."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous Ryu. At one time, all fights were to the death. We live and we die. That is our nature."  
  
"No! There is no reason to kill anymore. I am not a murderer."  
  
Sagat shook his head. "You poor fool. How do you think you got out of that dungeon? You killed those guards!"  
  
"Y...you're lying!"  
  
"No. What I say is true. You have killed and you will kill again."  
  
"I am not a murderer!"  
  
"If you do not kill me, then I will kill you! Defend yourself!" Sagat leaped toward him and crashed his knee into Ryu's cheek. Ryu tumbled to the ground. He got to his feet to meet a punch from Sagat. Sagat threw a long combination of punches. Ryu backed away as he blocked the attacks. He dodjed one of the punches, but Sagat swung his huge leg into him. Even though he blocked the kick, Ryu was still sent back first into the wall. He ducked another punch, causing Sagat to smash a hole in the wall.  
  
Sagat quickly recovered and threw another punch with his left hand. Ryu dodjed to the side to avoid the attack. Sagat then threw a kick to his knees. Ryu jumped over his leg. As Ryu was in the air, Sagat squatted down and leaped into the sky while giving him a powerful uppercut to the lip.  
  
Sagat fell to his feet as Ryu crashed on his back, bleeding from his lip. "Fight back!" yelled Sagat. He ducked down on his knees and fired a tiger shot at his fallen form. Ryu rolled out of the way and stood to his feet. As he stood, another tiger shot whizzed by him and cut his arm. Sagat fired a seemingly endless stream of tiger shots. Each one barely missed Ryu, but cut him as they flew by. He now stood before Sagat a bloody mess. He fell to his knees for a moment before standing back up. The scar on Sagat's chest flared a bright orange and bands of fiery electricity swirled around his fists. With a mighty roar, he reered back and fired a large, missile-like tiger shot at Ryu. The attack hit him dead on and exploded upon contact. Ryu went flying back and landed facefirst amongst a pile of trashcans.  
  
Sagat could feel Ryu's lifeforce diminishing. "Damn you, Ryu," he whispered. All of a sudden, several pieces of broken gravel slowly floated into the air for a moment and dropped to the ground. Then suddenly, Ryu raised his hand and thrusted his fingers into the concrete. He lifted himself to his knees and glared at him with white glowing eyes. "What......?"  
  
Ryu launched himself toward Sagat at incredible speed and threw a flying kick into his stomach. Almost immediately, he kicked him in the head with the same foot, causing blood to splatter across the alley from Sagat's forehead. He gave him two straight punches to the stomach then spun into the air to kick him across the face. The force of the blow slammed Sagat into the wall where Ryu followed with a violent series of punches to the stomach. Sagat leaned forward and puked blood on Ryu's body. Ryu gave him a powerful uppercut, then grabbed his arm and slammed him facefirst into the opposite wall. Sagat staggered back before Ryu finally knocked down with a stinging elbow to the ribs.  
  
Sagat slid backwards several feet. He stood up to see Ryu slowly walking toward him like a predator contemplating how it was going to kill its prey. He threw a tiger shot before he could get too close. It cut his arm, but Ryu continued walking forward. Sagat began another long series of tiger shots, but Ryu didn't stop. Sagat threw one more, this one aimed at his neck. Ryu grabbed it as if it were a material object and threw it back at him. The burning flame sliced his arm. Ryu then leaped into the air and spun into a hurricane kick. Each kick whipped into his face with unbelievable force, causing more blood to pour from his face. As soon as he landed, he ascended into the sky with a powerful dragon punch. The sheer force of the attack caused Sagat to make an upward climb before gracefully falling back to the earth.  
  
Sagat slowly pushed his blood covered body to one knee. He was shaking and convulsing violently, and he continued to leak blood from his nose and mouth. He stared into Ryu's dead eyes. Ryu grabbed him by the throat. "No......." Sagat choked. "Not like this............"  
  
"Shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!  
  
Gokuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!  
  
Satsuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"  
  
A bright, white light engulfed the alleyway. From within the light, came Sagat's terrified screams. The dark chi burned his flesh, ripped into his body, and shattered his bones. What lasted only a few seconds, felt like an eternity of pain and punishment. At last, the light faded away. As Ryu stood over Sagat's lifeless body, he raised his face to the heavens and unleashed a powerful demonic roar.  
  
***  
  
An ancient warrior experienced in a million battles sat in his dojo as he mentally watched the events that were taking place on the other side of the globe. Another fighter was speaking with him telepathically. Perhaps the most powerful warrior to ever walk the planet.  
  
"He has performed the Shungokusatsu," said Akuma with his deep, demonic voice.  
  
"So I see," answered Gen. "It seems he is reverting back to the old killing style."  
  
"He survived the technique. That's good. That makes two of us now. He will continue to grow stronger by the second. If not careful, however, it could lead to his destruction."  
  
"What are you suggesting?"  
  
"The time has come, Gen. The time has come to tell him of his true nature."  
  
"Why? Why does he have to know?"  
  
"Because this new power will confuse his weak mind. Until he understands what he is, he will not be able to control it."  
  
"And why must I be the one to explain it to him?"  
  
"Because he will not believe me. You were a friend of his precious Gouken. Besides if you don't tell him, I will kill you."  
  
Gen stroked his grey beard in deep thought. "What difference would it make? I am so close to death anyway."  
  
"You do not fear death. For that you are wise. But it would be foolish to let Ryu continue as he is now. Tell him Gen...tell him before he destroys himself."  
  
***  
  
Sagat lied in a pool of his own blood. His limbs rested beside him at akward angles. Blood dripped from his nose, mouth, and eyes. The Emperor of Muy Thai was dead.  
  
He who lives on the streets, dies on the streets. 


	8. Anarchy in the Soul

Anarchy in the Soul  
  
Ryu slowly cracked his eyes open. This was the first time in days that he had woken up without any bizarre dreams. His body felt completely relaxed. It took several minutes for him to even attempt to study his surroundings. He stared up into the sky. It looked like the sun was just now coming up. He rolled his head to the side. He seemed to be in some alley. 'What am I doing here?' Slowly, he sat up and looked down. What he saw next was an image he would not easily forget.  
  
The top part of his gi and his gloves were completely covered in dried blood. Ryu looked forward to see his worst nightmares realized. Sagat's dead corpe lied several feet from him. Ryu began to remember the events that had taken place the previous night. He remembered Sagat challenging him and remembered part of the fight. Although the rest was a blank, it was self-explanatory. Ryu had killed Sagat.  
  
"No," Ryu said outloud while shaking his head in a daze. He wanted to believe that this was just another of his dreams. He wanted to wake up right now. But deep down, he knew this was real. The look on Sagat's face was an expression of horror. He had died in pain. It wasn't quite the honorable death he'd been hoping for.  
  
Ryu couldn't stand to look at him any longer. He stood up and ran away, hoping that he could leave the tragedy behind him. The streets were empty at this early hour. At first Ryu ran with no destination in mind, but then he aimed for Ken's mansion. After minutes of non-stop running, he could see it. He prayed that no one would be awake.  
  
Luckily, no one was. He went upstairs to one of the bathrooms and looked at himself in the mirror. It was even worse than he thought. His face and arms were drenched in blood. Ryu quickly jumped into the shower to wash away his past sins. He leaned against one of the walls and watched the blood swirl down the drain. He closed his eyes tight, hoping that if he squeezed them hard enough that he would forget all his problems. Unfortunately, that was not going to happen.  
  
Ryu stepped out of the shower and got dressed in his gi bottoms and headband. His other clothes were so covered in blood that he didn't even want to touch them. He walked to his old room. His duffel bag was still there. He reached in and shuffled through the objects inside, until he pulled out an extra gi that kept he just in case.  
  
After getting dressed, he sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands. He began to think. It was now official. Ryu was murderer. He had taken another human's life, and that was something he couldn't bring back. Gouken had always taught him to always respect life as a precious gift. But now he felt like he'd forsaken that respect. He felt like he'd forsaken his master. He felt like he didn't deserve to live.  
  
Ryu sat and thought about these things for hours. At last he decided he was tired of thinking. He stood up and wandered around the mansion. He eventually wandered to the room were Ken watched TV. He went inside to Ken sitting on the couch, watching the news.  
  
"Hey, Ryu. Didn't hear you come in last night. You're not gonna believe this, but Sagat was found dead this morning in some alley. In fact, it was right here in this city. It looked like he was murdered. The police still haven't found out who did it or how it was done. Is that weird or what?"  
  
Ryu didn't say a word. Instead he just stared blankly at Ken with his guilty eyes. Ken could determine what happened just from looking at him. "You didn't," he said quietly.  
  
Ryu sat down beside him and stared at the floor. "It happened again," he said. "I lost control. I...I killed him."  
  
"Damn it Ryu! I told you not to go to that tournament! I knew something like this was going to happen!"  
  
Ryu remained silent. He continued to stare at the floor in a trance-like state. It looked like his mind was lost in another world.  
  
"Oh Ryu, I'm sorry. I know this must be eating you up inside."  
  
Finally, Ryu looked him in the eyes. "Please...don't tell anyone. Not even Eliza."  
  
"Don't worry man. You know you can count on me."  
  
***  
  
Bison, along with Cammy at his side, looked at Sagat's dead image on the monitor. "So, he has killed Sagat," replied Bison. "Amazing. I don't even I could have done better. Just look at it," he said, admiring Sagat's death as if it were an art form. "He didn't leave one bone unbroken."  
  
"Sagat is dead, however," he continued. He thought for a moment before saying his next words. "No matter. Sagat has become increasingly annoying as of late. I've been needing to get rid of him anyway. Ryu just saved me the trouble." He turned and looked at Cammy. "I guess that makes you my new second in command."  
  
Cammy didn't respond. She continued to stare at Sagat's dead form as if she were hynotised by it. Bison looked back at the screen and smiled. "Glad you appreciate your new promotion," he said.  
  
Bison rotated his chair and began pacing around the room. "But this does leave a problem. I need Ryu in my custody if I am to use him to his full potential. Sagat was no push-over, and if he couldn't defeat him, then bringing him back could prove difficult."  
  
Bison stopped in the middle of the room. He closed his eyes and rested his chin in his hand as he contemplated his current situation. After several minutes, he suddenly broke into a thunderous laughter. Cammy rolled her eyes toward his general direction. "Perhaps going to him is the wrong approach. Perhaps we should let him come to us. Ryu loves to fight. It is one of his strong points. But in this particular scenario, it will prove to be his downfall!"  
  
"A tournament," he said. "A grand tournament! All the strongest fighters of the world will be invited! Ryu cannot possibly resist such a challenge! He will come expecting the greatest battle of his life and instead fall right into my grasp! And once I bring him under my full control, nothing will be able to stand against us! Governments will crumble, nations will fall, and the law of the shadows shall rule over everything!"  
  
Bison's laughter once again echoed across the room. A strange feeling came over Cammy's body. It was... fear. Cammy hadn't felt anything since Bison took control of her. But now she was truly afraid. It didn't last, however. The fear left her soul, and Cammy was left once again without emotion.  
  
***  
  
It was early in the morning. A loud knock came to Ken's door. It sounded like they were trying to break the door down. Ken rushed to the door before any permaneant damage was done to it. He opened it to see Guile and Chun Li.  
  
"Oh man, not you guys again. Don't you people have anything better to do than bother me every ten seconds?"  
  
"I'm sorry Ken, but we need to ask Ryu a few questions," Chun Li said calmly.  
  
Ken raised an eyebrow. "What kind of questions?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Is Ryu the one who killed Sagat three days ago?" Guile asked bluntly.  
  
"What kind of stupid question is that?" Ken shot back.  
  
"Well lets see. Ryu has been staying in the same city as Sagat's murder. Then there's Sagat's personal vendetta against Ryu. Oh, and lets not forget the fact that Bison is controlling him."  
  
"Guile, that's enough!" Chun Li yelled.  
  
"After all the horrible crimes Shadowlaw has commited, how dare you keep one of them in your house. Ryu deserves to be locked away like the rest of those Shadowlaw scumbags!"  
  
Ken placed his hands on the sides of the doorway, blocking them out. "I want you two off of my property, now!"  
  
"We aren't going anywhere," Guile said. With that he pushed Ken aside and forced his way into his home."  
  
***  
  
Ryu found himself upon a cliff overlooking an ocean. The water seemed to be a strange violet color, instead of the normal blue. Grey storm clouds hung from the sky. From time to time a flash of lightning would appear from the clouds and bring forth a quiet rumble. Among the thunder, Ryu could hear the sounds of grunts and battle cries in the distance. They sounded like...Sagat!  
  
Ryu rushed toward the sound of the fight. He eventually found what he was looking for. It was Sagat alright. And he seemed to be fighting someone. It was him! But it wasn't quite him though. His gi was black and his skin was brown. Ryu watched as Sagat was being destroyed by this copy of himself. The evil manifestation threw a violent barrage of punches to Sagat's chest. Each punch made a loud cracking noise, as if one of Sagat's ribs were breaking each time a fist made contact. Finally, it leaped into the air and spun several times before slashing its foot across Sagat's neck. The attack decapitated him. Sagat's head flew high into the air before landing at Ryu's feet.  
  
Ryu stared down at the decapitated head in shock. He then looked up to see his dark clone slowly walking toward him. "Look at me Ryu," it said with Bison's voice. "I am what you will become. There is no resisting it. You can either give up, or I can destroy you now."  
  
"Never! I will never give up my humanity!"  
  
"Then die!" The evil Ryu glided across the ground and punched him in the stomach. Then it hit him in the face and gave him a spinning kick, sending him to the ground.  
  
Ryu's lip and forehead had been busted open by it's previous attacks. Its strength was amazing. Ryu crawled to his feet and threw a punch at his reflection. It forcefully knocked his arm away and kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to one knee. It then slammed its elbow in the back of his neck, putting him facefirst on the ground before stomping on his spine. Ryu's rolled his pain wracked body onto its side. Evil Ryu then kicked him hard in the stomach.  
  
Ryu was sent flying many yards away. He landed with a thud and puked blood. Suddenly, an explosion of thunder got his attention. Ryu looked up and saw a shadowy figure standing on a cliff above him. He appeared to be wearing a karate gi similar to his own. His arms were crossed before him and his long hair flapped in the wind.  
  
Ryu stood up and stared at him in awe. He looked closer, hoping that he could make out his features. All he could see was blackness. Ryu couldn't stand the suspense anylonger. "Who are you?!" he yelled. The figure said nothing. Instead, he continued to stare down at Ryu, still as a statue while the wind knocked his hair up and down. "Answer me!" Ryu commanded impatiently. Still nothing. Then, out of nowhere, another lightning blast lit up the battle field. In that brief moment, all Ryu could see was his eyes. They were the most powerful pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life.The eyes seemed to look straight into his soul, and in that split second, Ryu awakened.  
  
***  
  
Ryu's awakening was not unusual. He quickly sat up in his bed with a loud gasp, trying desperately to catch his breath. This time, however, he was not alone. Guile was sitting beside him and giving him an odd look, obviously not understanding Ryu's nightmares.  
  
"I'm not going to ask what that was about," he said. "I'm just going to cut to the chase. I want to know if you were the one who killed Sagat."  
  
Ryu didn't answer him. Instead, he just stared at him like he was trying to decipher whether or not he was really there.  
  
"Look, I'm not in the mood for your crap," Guile said. "Just tell me if you killed Sagat!"  
  
Ryu still didn't reply.  
  
Guile stood up. "Fine. You don't have to tell me. I can see the guilt in your eyes. You know what? I don't understand why Ken is keeping you in his home. You could just as easily do to him what you did to Sagat. To be completely honest, I think you're a dangerous criminal and you need to be locked away for good."  
  
Ryu broke his gaze with Guile and looked down at his hands. "You don't know what it's like. You don't know what it's like to be controlled by him. It's like I'm not safe inside my own mind. Like it doesn't belong to me anymore."  
  
After hearing those words, Guile couldn't help but feel some remorse for him. Without saying another word, he turned around and left the room.  
  
Ryu put his feet on the floor and thought for a moment. Then he instinctively reached for his headband to put it on as he always did in the morning. But beside his headband was a pistol.  
  
Guile must have put it down while he was waiting for him to wake up and forgot to pick it up. Ryu reached his trembling hand toward the gun and picked it up. He stared at it as he held it in front of him with both hands. His life flashed before his eyes. Slowly, reluctantly, he raised the gun and put it in his mouth.  
  
Just then Ken came into the room. "Hey Ryu, listen...SHIT!" Ken ran toward him and took the gun from his hand. He set the gun by the lamp and sat next to him. "Ryu, what the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
Ryu's whole body was shaking. "I...I can't take it anymore. I don't know what's real anymore. My life is going nowhere. I'm a threat to the human race. I can't even sleep anymore. I don't know any other way out."  
  
"Ryu, I know you're going through a tough time right now, but that's no reason to end your life. You can get through this. I know you'll find a way."  
  
Ryu finally calmed down a little. He stood up and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. "Ken, do you ever just miss the good, old days? Back when we were training with Gouken? Every day we'd just hang out and learn something new. It was hard work, but it was fun."  
  
"I know, man. Those are some of my best memories."  
  
Ryu slid down to the floor and looked at Ken. "Everything made sense back then. Then all of a sudden our training was over. Gouken told us to go out and make a name for ourselves. I guess I never really considered the fact that one day our training would be over. I didn't know what to do with myself, so I just started traveling the world fighting in one tournament after another. You know, you were always the better of the two of us."  
  
"What are you talking about? You've always been the better fighter," he admitted.  
  
"That's not what I mean. You've got a nice home, lots of good friends, and a future wife. What do I have?"  
  
"Ryu, I don't know how to answer that for you. But if it means anything, you know that I'm always here for you if you ever feel confused or need to talk about something."  
  
At last, a smile came to Ryu's lips. "Thanks Ken. For saving my life. I think I'll be okay now."  
  
Ken stood up and walked to the door. "Good. Don't ever scare me like that again. You almost gave me a heart attack."  
  
"Hey Ken, can you do me one more favor?"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Take the gun out of here."  
  
***  
  
Late that night. Ryu stood in his room, staring at his bed. He didn't want to go to sleep. He knew that another nightmare would be waiting for him. 'What am I supposed to do?' Ryu asked himself. 'I have to sleep sometime, but I'm tired of these strange dreams.'  
  
Ryu thought for a moment before arriving to a conclusion. He sat down in the middle of the room with his legs crossed and closed his eyes. 'I'm not going to let this thing dominate my life any longer. I'm getting to the bottom of this now!'  
  
Ryu then went into a deep meditation. After several hours, his mind began to drift to another place.  
  
***  
  
Ryu found himself in a large forest. After studying his surroundings for several minutes, he began to recognize where he was. He was back home. On a hunch, he started walking toward the old dojo.  
  
The walk seemed to take hours. But at last he was there. For a moment, he just stood there staring at the dojo, afraid of what might happen if he went inside. Suddenly, the front door slid open. The inside was completely dark. Ryu couldn't see anything within the dojo.  
  
Then a figure stepped out of the darkness. It was Gouken. This wasn't the same Gouken as Ryu remembered him though. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth. There was a large hole in his chest that continued to leak blood. "Master?"  
  
Gouken slowly stumbled forward with a dead, far away look in his eyes. At the edge of the sparring area, Gouken fell and tumbled down the stairs. "Master!" Ryu ran toward him and cradled him in his arms. His skin was cold. Gouken laid completely still.  
  
An insane laughter erupted from the dojo. Ryu jerked his head up to see what was about to happen. The dojo then burst into a million pieces, revealing Bison to be standing inside. Ryu gently laid his master back down and ascended up the stairs.  
  
"Well well, what is this?" Bison asked mockingly. "Have you finally come to your senses and decide to join me after all?"  
  
"No Bison. I will never give up. I'm tired of running. I'm going to get you out of my mind once and for all."  
  
With that, Ryu dashed toward him with a powerful battle cry. When the moment came, Ryu jumped up and aimed a round kick at Bison's head. Bison blocked it with his forearm and punched Ryu in the gut.  
  
Ryu fell to the floor, but quickly rolled backwards onto his feet and ran toward him again. He threw a series five punches at his opponent. Bison easily dodjed the attacks and kicked Ryu in the leg. Ryu was forced to his knee. Bison slammed his fist into Ryu's temple and sent him flying back with an uppercut.  
  
Ryu once again stood quickly to his feet. He wiped some blood from his lip and fired a hadoken blast at Bison. Bison swung his hand at the blast and sent it back toward Ryu. It struck him in the shoulder. He staggered back, but was somehow able to balance himself and keep from falling down.  
  
In the blink of an eye, Bison appeared before him and punched hard in the stomach, causing him to bend over. Bison grabbed him by the throat and picked him up with one hand. He walked over to the edge of the sparring floor and then sent his knee into Ryu's stomach. Ryu went flying to the ground and landed with a sickening thud on top of his head.  
  
Ryu wasn't so quick to stand to his feet this time. He pushed himself to one knee and lifted his head. Bison was standing above him with arms crossed. A sadistic grin was etched on his face.  
  
"You stupid child!" he yelled. "Haven't you realized by now that you cannot possibly stand against me?! You may be strong, but you are still only human! I on the other hand have existed for generations! I have never been defeated and I never will be! Join me now Ryu! Submit to me, and we shall rule over everything!"  
  
Just then, a giant shadow appeared behind Bison and towered over him. Bison turned around to face the creature. All of a sudden, a look of horror appeared on his face. "What? No. It's...It's you! But how can that be?"  
  
The giant shadowy creature raised its hand and began to bring it down toward Bison. "No! Please don't! Nooooo!!!!!" Bison pleaded. But then the shadow grabbed him and crushed him in his grasp. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
It then turned its attention to Ryu. "Who are you?!" Ryu yelled. It responded with a low growling sound. It then reached its hand toward him. Ryu was overcome by fear. But then he could see something strangely familiar on it. The blood red TEN symbol was glowing on its forehead. But it was to late. Its hand closed in on him and then all he could see was darkness.  
  
***  
  
Ryu came back to reality with a gasp. He was covered in sweat. He stood up and paced around his room as he contemplated his previous dream outloud.  
  
"Bison. He wasn't in control this time. Something else was there. Someone actually defeated him. But if Bison isn't the source of these dreams then what is? Who else was in my dream?"  
  
Ryu stood still as he tried to think of who the other person was in the dream. He felt his heart skip a beat when he finally thought of the person's identity.  
  
"Akuma."  
  
***  
  
The next morning, Ken drowsily walked into the kitchen where he expected Eliza would be. He found her standing next to the refrigerator while reading a note. She had very serious expression on her face.  
  
"Hey baby, what's up?" Ken asked.  
  
Without saying a word, Eliza handed him the note and took a step back.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
  
'Dear Ken,  
  
Thank you for allowing me to stay in your house these past couple of months. I appreciate everything you've done for me. However, something is happening inside me and I can't ignore it any longer. I have to go find answers for myself. Please, don't try to find me. I don't know when or if we'll see each other again. I just want you to know that you are the only person that I've ever been able to call a friend. Goodbye.  
  
Signed  
Ryu'  
  
  
Ken crumbled the note in his hand and closed his eyes shut. "Damn it Ryu."  
  
***  
  
After several hours of nonstop rowing, Ryu had finally arrived at his destination. The beach was littered with bones and storm clouds hung in the air. Ryu had been to this island once in his life. He wasn't sure if it was going to be here, but he had to find out. It appeared that the island had somehow regenerated itself.  
  
Ryu proceeded further toward the center of the island. As he did so, he passed through an area containing hundreds of destroyed huts. Dead bodies were all over the place. Most of them were decomposing, suggesting that they'd been dead for awhile. The whole place smelt like rotting blood. It was like a village had once existed here, but some powerful force had completely wiped it out.  
  
Ryu passed the village of death and kept walking. He walked until he came to giant tree. From each of the tree's thick limbs was a dead body hanging by a rope on its neck. Each of the bodies appeared to be wearing some kind of fighting uniform. The bodies swayed back and forth from the wind. "I don't remember this being here," Ryu said.  
  
Suddenly, Ryu heard a loud roar from behind him. He turned around and saw Akuma standing on a cliff high above him. Akuma leaped into the air, performed a somersault, and landed on one knee as he crashed into the ground. He stood to his full height, amazingly uninjured from the fall.  
  
"So we meet again, Ryu. Are you ready to show me your true power?" There was something strange about Akuma's voice. It was extremely deep and seemed to come from all directions. There wasn't a single hint of humanity in his voice. It sounded like something between an animal and a demon. Everything about Akuma, from his appearance to his voice, and even his mere presence, spoke volumes of the incredible power that he wielded. Akuma truly was the Supreme Master of Fists.  
  
"I didn't come here to fight you," Ryu said. "I came here seeking answers."  
  
Akuma squinted his blood red eyes, obviously annoyed that Ryu wasn't ready to fight him. "What sort of answers do you seek?"  
  
"The dreams I've been having. Are you the one who's been causing them?"  
  
Akuma paused for a moment. Just being close to this man made Ryu uncomfortable for he was so unpredictable. "No."  
  
"Then Bison..."  
  
"No."  
  
"Who then?! Who is it that keeps giving me these nightmares."  
  
Another pause. "You are Ryu."  
  
Ryu looked at him in shock, not comprehending what he was saying. "What do you mean?"  
  
"No one has been 'causing' those nightmares. They are the manifestation of your own fears and insecurities."  
  
Ryu looked down at the cold grass underneath him. "So this whole time I thought someone was playing a trick on me, when it was really me the whole time?"  
  
"Is it really that hard to believe?"  
  
This new revelation brought another question to Ryu's mind. "If Bison wasn't the cause of those dreams, then is he the one that's been controlling me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then it must be you!"  
  
Akuma shook his head.  
  
"What is it then?!" Ryu asked, fearing he already knew the answer.  
  
"The demon is a part of you. A part of you that is struggling to break free. Do you remember the first time we fought? It happened there. Bison couldn't have possibly been doing it back then. And why would I control you during our own fight?"  
  
Ryu didn't want to believe him but knew that what he said made sense. Then that old familiar feeling came back. Ryu felt a rush of blood burn through his veins. His muscles cramped and his vision blurred. Ryu struggled to keep the demon away. He bent down and clutched his stomach.  
  
"Will you fight me now, Ryu?"  
  
"No! There is more I have to ask you." Ryu felt like he was about to lose consciousness, but managed to stay in control.  
  
"I will not play these games. If you are not ready to fight me, then I want nothing to do with you."  
  
"Please, don't go! I still have more questions."  
  
"If you really want the answers you seek, then go to the place where your journey began. There you will find all the answers that you need."  
  
Akuma then vanished. Once he disappeard, his voice left one last message in the air. "A true warrior enters the arena with all his powers at the ready."  
  
Ryu dropped to his knees and gasped for air. His body suddenly returned to normal. It was as if the demon within him only wanted to fight with Akuma. "The place where my journey began," Ryu said outloud. "Gouken's dojo."  
  
Ryu stood up and dusted himself off. He then turned around and went back the way he came. He was going back to the place where his journey began in search of an answer. The answer he will find, however, will be more frightening than the question.  
  
  
The Raging Author: Up to this point, the story has been pretty accurate with the actual Street Fighter storyline. The next chapter, however, is going to introduce a radically original idea that, as far as I know, has never been done before. It just wouldn't be one of my stories if I didn't leave my own little mark upon it. I'm just telling you this so you won't think I got it from the actual story. Hope you enjoy the big surprise. Jes has spoken. 


	9. Life, Death, and Resurrection

Life, Death, and Resurrection  
  
Ryu stood before Gouken's dojo with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He let out a deep breath as he stared at the building where he spent the first several years of his life. Slowly, he ascended the steps and walked across the sparring area which was filled with cracks and bloodstains from Ryu and Ken's training.  
  
He stood in front of the door and paused. He wasn't sure what was about to happen. He slid the door open. It was empty. The moment he stepped inside, a flood of memories came to him. Some of the best memories of his life. It looked just the way he left it. It felt like a long time since he'd last been to this place, though it had to be less than a decade.  
  
'What now?' thought Ryu. Akuma had told him to go back to the place where his journey began, and this had to be it. But Ryu saw nothing. 'Maybe Akuma was lying.'  
  
Ryu dropped his bag on the floor and decided to explore the dojo. Although he'd yet to find what he was looking for, it felt good just to be back. Ryu wandered to every room in the dojo. Every inch of the place held fond childhood memories. Remembering these things gave Ryu an inner peace that he hadn't felt in a long time.  
  
He eventually wandered to the room where Gouken used to meditate. He remembered Gouken would sometimes bring his students in here for special occasions. This was the same room where Gouken had announced Ryu and Ken's training to be over. In a sense, this was where the first part of Ryu's life had come to an end.  
  
The room was filled with about a dozen unlit candles. On the back wall there was a scroll with a large kanji symbol on it, though Ryu didn't know what it meant. On both sides there were shelves holding several books and scrolls.  
  
Ryu walked into the center of the room. All of a sudden, the candles lit up at once. "Hello Ryu," said a deep, but familiar voice behind him.  
  
Ryu turned around to see an elderly man wearing a blue kung fu uniform. He could feel a powerful force emanating from the man's body. It took a while for him to recognize this person. "Gen?"  
  
Gen smiled when he heard his name. "So, you remember me. That's surprising. The last time you saw me, you were but a child."  
  
"What are you doing here? How did you know where I was?"  
  
"I followed you here. I've been watching over you ever since Akuma told me what happened when you fought together."  
  
Ryu's eyes widened when he mentioned Akuma's name. "Why would Akuma tell you about that?"  
  
"I've taken an interest in Akuma ever since he decided to learn the old Shotokan style. We've spoken on many occasions."  
  
"How can you associate yourself with that demon?! Have you forgotten that he's the one that killed Gouken?!"  
  
Gen walked to one of the candles and casually held his hand over it. "We all die, Ryu. Some sooner, some later. That is how life is."  
  
"Is that all you have to say? Akuma is an insane killing machine! He's pure evil!"  
  
Gen took his hand from the flame and circled around to the back of the room. "I do not see things in terms of good and evil. The only laws that matter to me are the laws of battle and war." Gen looked at Ryu and pointed to the floor. "Sit down. There is something very important I have to tell you."  
  
Ryu reluctantly obeyed his command. Gen also sat down. He paused a moment to light his pipe take a long puff from. He seemed to be contemplating what he was about to say. "I'm going to tell you a story, Ryu. I'm going to tell you the history of the Shotokan style. It may not make sense at first, but once you hear these things I believe you will have a greater knowledge of your role in the universe."  
  
That last part caught Ryu's attention. Ryu sensed that what Gen was about to tell him could change his life forever. Gen took another long puff on his pipe before continuing.  
  
***  
  
500 years ago there was a fighter from China who traveled the world for the sole purpose of strengthening himself in battle. He used his own fighting style to defeat his opponents. This man wielded a power unlike anything ever seen before. By powering his attacks with his inner chi, he was able to turn a simple technique into a fatal strike. He had the power to punch a hole in a man's chest, or decapitate a fighter with a single kick. His name was Sheng Long.  
  
For many decades, he traveled the world. Swords, spears, and arrows were like toys compared to the power of his fists. Not even the invention of firearms could stop him. Entire armies would challenge him and he would kill them all by himself. With every battle, he seemed to grow stronger. He created new techniques almost daily.  
  
The term legend is used far too often. But Sheng Long was a true legend in the realm of fighting. There has never been a warrior quite like him, and there probably never will be again.  
  
Eventually, he decided to settle down in Japan. Once there, he began to teach students in what is now known as the Shotokan style. This was before your master's master, Goutetsu, turned these techniques into defensive, nonkilling moves. Back then, a single hadoken blast could destroy entire villages, and a hurricane kick could cut a path through any army.  
  
Before long, Sheng Long had created a massive following. His people looked up to him as if he were a holy man. In order to test the skill of his students, Sheng Long would pit them together in brutal one on one competitions that would often end in death. These competitions eventually evolved into what is now known as Street Fighting. In a sense, you could say that Sheng Long was the one who created Street Fighting.  
  
Other clans became jealous of the Shotokans. They tried desperately to destroy them. But their every attempt only seemed to make them stronger. It looked like nothing could stop them.  
  
At this point, Sheng Long was by far the most powerful fighter on the planet. No other warrior could even stand against him, and age showed no signs of slowing him down. But Sheng Long was not one to accept his limitations. He predicted that soon, stronger fighters similar to him would appear and be able to challenge him. He decided to create a technique so powerful that it would be able to obliterate these warriors in one blow. This technique would come to be known as the Instant Hell Murder, or Shungokusatsu.  
  
It took several years for him to develop such an attack. Even for him, it would be a difficult technique to perform. Finally, he believed that he had unlocked its secret. At the end of one particular war, Sheng Long had the leader of one of their rival clans captured. He was brought to the center of a large arena where Sheng Long would execute the new technique for all his students to see.  
  
The entire arena was then filled with a brilliant white light. The students of Sheng Long watched in amazement as their master performed the awesome technique. Once the light faded away, the rival clan leader was not only dead, but was completely mutilated. But before Sheng Long could take a single step, he too fell the ground.  
  
Sheng Long was taken to his bed shortly thereafter. Many weeks had passed without him being able to move an inch. He had used so much energy to perform the Shungokusatsu that his life force had been drained from his body. The great warrior knew that he was going to die. On the day that he died, he told his students that one day he would return to the land of the living in order to complete his journey. Those were his last words.  
  
At first, his students thought that those were merely the proud words of a dying man. Many more attempted to execute the Shungokusatsu. All of them suffered a similar fate as their master. Before long, only a handfull of the Shotokans still existed. With their own technique, they had nearly brought themselves to extinction. But still they were determined to master its secret.  
  
In an attempt to better understand the Shungokusatsu, the Shotokan practitioners broke into Sheng Long's secret study. But after searching the area, they discovered something even more shocking. They had found a scroll that explained in great detail a secret resurrection technique. Fearing that the technique would be put to the wrong use, they burned the scroll and banned the Shungokusatsu from ever being used again.  
  
You see, Ryu, Sheng Long never truly died. He merely put his soul to rest. Only to have it reborn...500 years later.  
  
***  
  
Ryu stared at Gen with wide eyes, still trying to comprehend the story that he'd just heard. "What are you trying to say?" he asked.  
  
Gen faced Ryu and stared into his eyes with an intense, piercing gaze. "Ryu.....you are the reincarnation of Sheng Long!"  
  
Ryu stared at him blankly for a moment. Then he looked down at the floor and shook his head. "No. It's impossible. I don't believe you."  
  
"Ryu....."  
  
"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Ryu stood up and ran out of the room. He ran out of the dojo, trying to get as far away as he could. Then Gen suddenly appeared in front of him and grabbed the sides of his face.  
  
"Look at me Ryu."  
  
"No."  
  
"Look at me!" Ryu reluctantly turned his eyes toward Gen, who was staring at him with all the seriousness in the world. "You of all people should know by now that nothing is impossible. I know it's difficult to believe, but it is the absolute truth. You are the Sheng Long. We have known this from the very beginning."  
  
"I don't want to believe you!"  
  
"Other clans felt it when you were born. They feared what you were capable of, so they slaughtered your family and tried to kill you."  
  
"Please stop."  
  
"I was the one who rescued you. I asked Gouken to take care of you. The others feared Gouken's skill and decided to leave you alone!"  
  
"NO!" Ryu knocked Gen's arms away and fell to his hands and knees. For the first time since he was a child, tears fell from his eyes. He was thinking a million thoughts at once. 'Is this why I've always felt so out of place? No. It can't be.'  
  
Gen closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Ryu. I didn't want to resort to this, but you leave me no choice." He then jabbed his finger into the side of Ryu's neck. Ryu passed out shortly.  
  
***  
  
Ryu woke up hours later in the same room he'd been in before. The candles were still lit. He rolled his head to the side to see Gen sitting a few feet away, staring at the walls and smoking his pipe.  
  
"I am sorry that I had to be the one to tell you. I truly am. I know it must be hard to comprehend."  
  
Ryu was thinking more clearly now. "I've seen pictures," he said as he sat up.  
  
Gen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You are resurrected in soul, not in body. Your appearance has nothing to do with it."  
  
"What about the demon?"  
  
"The evil intent is a side effect of performing the Shungokusatsu. Akuma went through the same thing. It somehow carried over to you in this life."  
  
"So you mean I'll end up like him someday?"  
  
Gen looked at him again. "That's up to you."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"There's nothing I can say that can make you understand."  
  
"If Gouken knew about this, then how come he never told me?"  
  
"How would you tell a child he was the resurrected form of a warrior who died long ago?"  
  
"What makes you think I'm this Sheng Long guy anyway?!"  
  
"The body holds many more than five senses. We noticed you were different from the time you were born. I felt it. Your parents felt it. Gouken felt it. Even Akuma felt it. In fact, that is the main reason he wants to challenge you."  
  
Akuma's words repeated themselves in Ryu's mind. 'SHOW ME YOUR TRUE POWER!' Was this the 'true power' he was referring to? "Wouldn't I remember this past life?"  
  
"Not necessarily. Alot can happen in 500 years. Surely, you must have felt it too. Haven't you ever noticed how your techniques seem to improve on their own?"  
  
"That's just because of all my training. Ken's done the same thing."  
  
"But never as quickly as you have. Your body is remembering old techniques without you even noticing it."  
  
Ryu shook his head. "How can you expect me to believe all this? For all I know, you could just be a crazy old man. I haven't even seen you since I was ten. And then you appear out no where and want me to believe that I'm the reincarnation of someone who died 500 years ago?"  
  
Gen leaned forward, closer to Ryu. "I don't expect you to take my word for it. But deep down in your heart you know that it is the truth. I know how you feel, Ryu. I have felt the turmoil in your soul. Your entire life you have had the burning feeling that somehow something just isn't right. This is why."  
  
Ryu turned his gaze to the floor. He knew the turmoil that he was talking about. Gen stood up and spoke again. "You may not believe me now, but eventually you will have to open your eyes and see the truth. I have told you everything you need to know. The rest you'll have to decide for yourself."  
  
Gen left the room. Ryu wanted to say something to him, but wasn't sure what it was. Before he knew it, Gen was gone. Ryu sat there for several minutes. At last, he decided it was best to leave. He picked up his bag and walked out of the dojo.  
  
***  
  
Gen stood on a high cliff with his hands tucked in his sleeves as he watched Ryu leave the dojo. Suddenly, he could hear Akuma's voice in his head.  
  
"So, you have told him?"  
  
"Yes. It has been done. Though it may take time for him to fully understand."  
  
"Good. In that case, I have no more use for you."  
  
Gen's eyes widened. He turned around to see Akuma standing before him. He immediately thrusted his finger toward Akuma's throat. Akuma grabbed his wrist and began crushing it with his monstrous grip.  
  
***  
  
Ryu quickly looked up. He thought he saw a bright white light shining on a cliff high above him. 'Must be my imagination,' he thought. Ryu looked forward and continued on his journey.  
  
***  
  
The next day, Ryu was walking through the streets of a small Japanese town. He had been walking since that time without stopping for food or rest. Gen's message continued to play over and over in his mind.  
  
'Is this it? My whole life, I've really been someone else? Could this be why I've always been so obsessed with fighting? What am I thinking? I can't believe I'm actually considering this. I can't be the reincarnation of some ancient warrior...can I?'  
  
As Ryu continued his path down the streets, something caught his eye and interrupted him from his thoughts. It was a newstand. On the front of the paper was an advertisement for a huge tournament. This was strange. Tournaments were almost never advertised in public. Ryu reached into his bag and pulled out some money to buy it.  
  
He quickly looked through the ad. It didn't say who was hosting it, but it looked like all the best fighters in the world where going to be there. Ryu's adrenaline pumped up at the mere thought of the event. But this feeling was quickly replaced by disappointment. 'What if the evil intent shows itself during the tournament? There's no telling what I could do at a tournament that big.'  
  
Ryu placed the paper in his duffel bag and continued walking as he contemplated whether or not to go to the tournament. As he did so, he passed by the window of a small restaurant. Inside he could see people cooking and serving food.  
  
'Their lives seem so simple compared to mine. Maybe that's what I need. A simple life. Then I could settle down and stop all this traveling and training. I wouldn't have to worry about Bison. Or Akuma. Or the demon. Or any of this Sheng Long crap.'  
  
Ryu thought for a few more moments before coming to a decision. 'Yeah. Why not? I'm tired of living like this. I need a change. It's time for me to start a new life.'  
  
Ryu took a deep breath and walked by the window. But just when he was about to step into the door he heard someone call his name.  
  
"RYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"  
  
Ryu could see someone running toward him from the distance. From where he was standing, it appeared to be a girl with short hair wearing a school uniform. As she came closer, he could also see that she was wearing a white headband around her head. She finally caught up to him and rested her hands on her knees while struggling to catch her breath.  
  
"Y...you're...you're a hard man to find."  
  
"Uh I'm sorry, but do I know you?"  
  
The girl raised up and looked at him with a huge grin across her face. "Sakura remember? You saved me from a gang in China about a year ago."  
  
Ryu thought for a moment before finally recognizing her. "Oh yeah, now I remember you."  
  
"I've been training really hard in karate ever since I met you. And I've been Street Fighting. Hey I want to show you something! Watch this!"  
  
Sakura turned to the side and dropped into a hadoken stance. Ryu raised an eyebrow. 'Is she really going to do what I think she's doing?'  
  
After several moments of concentration, Sakura thrusted her hands forward and...  
  
"Hadoken!"  
  
...nothing happened. "Huh?! Wait, let me try again."  
  
Sakura went back into her stance. Then she thrusted her hands forward and...  
  
"Hadoken!"  
  
...nothing happened again. "Oh man. I really did it once."  
  
Ryu put his bag down and walked behind her. "You're too excited. Relax. You need to calm your mind before you can accomplish anything."  
  
Sakura looked forward and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and spent a took minutes to clear her mind. Then she snapped her eyes open, thrusted her hands forward and...  
  
"Hadoken!"  
  
...a small spark of hado energy appeared from her hands. It slowly traveled forward about five feet before dissolving into the air. Sakura jumped up and down in excitement. "Did you see that?! I did it! Just like you!"  
  
A smile appeared on Ryu's lips. Sakura turned around and continued talking. "So you're gonna be at the tournament aren't you?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"The tournament. Haven't you heard about it? It's going to be like the biggest tournament ever. You're going aren't you?"  
  
"Well, I might."  
  
"Hey wait...what time is it?"  
  
Ryu put his hand over his eyes and looked up at the sun. "Lets see. I'd say it's about 9'o clock."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. "9'o clock! Oh man, I'm late again!" Sakura turned around and ran the opposite direction. "Bye Ryu! See ya at the tournament!"  
  
Ryu smiled as he watched her running away. 'She started training because of me? I actually had that kind of impact on someone else's life? Wow.'  
  
Ryu looked back at the restaurant. 'What was I thinking?' He then picked up his bag and walked away.  
  
  
The Dork Hado: Surprise! Bet you weren't expecting that now where you? Yeah, I know it's kind of a weird idea, but in my mind weird and cool means basically the same thing. Think about it though...it does kinda explain a few things about Ryu doesn't it? Now before you say anything, just let me tell you that I don't want any flames for coming up with an original idea. If you do, then I'll just laugh and call you a retard. By the way, if it seems like I'm not updating consistently just be patient with me okay. Problems may arise in my normal life(as if I have one). Jes has spoken. 


	10. The Tournament of Champions

The Tournament of Champions  
  
Ryu walked on a lone dirt road in Thailand with his duffel bag over his shoulder. His mind was a mix of emotions. He was anxious to see what this tournament had in store for him. If what he'd heard of it was true, then this could very well be the greatest challenge of his life. But he was also afraid of what he was capable of. He had yet to over come the evil intent, and there was no telling what he could do at an event this size.  
  
At the forefront of his crowded thoughts was the disturbing revelation told to him by Gen. Ryu desperately tried to forget what he learned that day as if it never happened. But still it continued to eat away at him. If what Gen said was true, then it changed everything that Ryu ever thought he knew.  
  
But somewhere in Ryu's tortured mind was a sense of joy. He could still clearly remember the look on Sakura's face when she saw him. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. She seemed in awe at his mere presence. She had begun training in the martial arts because of him. Ryu had a major impact on someone else's life, and it made him feel something he'd never felt before. It made him feel important.  
  
All of these thoughts were suddenly put on pause as Ryu saw his destination appear over the horizon. It was a beautiful arena similar to that used by the Roman gladiators. The sight of it took Ryu's breath away. He was more accustomed to fighting in oversized bars and abandoned warehouses. This was surely going to be a tournament unlike any other. Ryu took a deep breath and stepped into the arena.  
  
The inside was completely packed. There were fighters of all backgrounds and nationalities signing up for the tournament. They were all casually talking amonst themselves as they waited for something eventful to happen. Among them, Ryu could see many familiar faces, along with a few he'd already fought before. After standing there for a few minutes, he heard a very familiar voice behind him.  
  
"Ryu?!"  
  
Ryu turned around to see Ken standing a few feet away. Seeing his old friend brought a smile to his face. "Ken!"  
  
"Hey, man what are you doing here?" Ken asked as he maneuvered through the crowd.  
  
"I'm guessing the same thing you're doing."  
  
"Good point. So what've you been up to? You left a little out of the blue there."  
  
"Oh, you know me. I just needed some time alone to clear my head." Ryu didn't feel the need to tell Ken what he learned from Gen.  
  
Ken took a moment to scan his surroundings. "This is gonna be some tournament ain't it?"  
  
"No joke. I've never seen anything like this. A tournament's never been publicized like this one before."  
  
Ken pointed toward someone in the distance. "Hey, isn't that Guile?"  
  
Ryu looked where Ken was pointing. "Yeah, I think so."  
  
"I wonder what he's up to." Ken began walking in his direction while Ryu followed shortly behind. "Hey G.I. Joe! What are you doing here? You're not following us again are you?"  
  
Guile looked at him. "Actually I'm here on personel business."  
  
"And what would that be?"  
  
"That's none of your business."  
  
"Fine, take it easy. So where's Chun Li at?"  
  
"She's been reasigned. We're no longer working together."  
  
"Really. That's a shock. I was starting to think you two were joined at the hip."  
  
Just then, a small Thai man in a tuxedo came into the room. "Will all the fighters please follow me." The man then led the enormous crowd of warriors to a large room with a blood-stained ring in the middle of it. The ring's floor, instead of being made of canvas, was made of concrete. The ring also didn't have any ropes. On the far end of the room was a balcony high above the floor.  
  
Guile's eyes widened as he realized where he was. He began having flashbacks of Charlie's death. 'Holy shit. This is the same place. So it's true. Shadowlaw is hosting this tournament.'  
  
A tall man wearing a purple suit with long, blonde hair appeared on the balcony. At his side was a small girl with a long fur coat and a hood covering her face.  
  
"Welcome everyone, to the Grand Tournament of World Warriors!" yelled the man. "First, I would like to state that this is the largest gathering of Street Fighters ever assembled. You should all be very proud of yourselves for being invited. This tournament shall decide once and for all who is the strongest fighter in the world. The tournament will begin tomorrow. During this event you will all stay in the rooms that we have provided for you. Good luck to you all."  
  
The large multitude of fighters once again began talking amonst themselves. "Ryu, doesn't that guy seem familiar?" Ken asked.  
  
"Yeah. I noticed it too. And that girl. There's something strange about her aura."  
  
The two Shotokan fighters were interrupted by a loud, high-pitched voice behind them. "RYU!" Ryu cringed when he heard that voice. The two turned around to see Sakura running towards them at full speed. "Hey, you showed up. I knew you would."  
  
"Uh, hi Sakura."  
  
"Wow, you remembered my name! I can't wait for the tournament to start. I really want to show you some of the new moves I've learned. Maybe we'll end up fighting each other. Would that be cool or what? Well, I've got some training to do." Sakura turned around and ran the other way. "Bye Ryu!"  
  
Ryu looked at Ken, who looked like he was holding his breath. Ryu let out a sigh. "Go ahead."  
  
Ken bent over and busted up laughing. "Dude, what the hell was that all about?"  
  
Ryu scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, one of my fans."  
  
Vega looked down at the crowd below him, silently sizing up the competition. 'I hate it when Bison makes me do these subtle jobs,' he thought. 'I'm an assasin, not a spokesman. Oh well. It will all be worth it once I've been named the Street Fighting Champion. Defeating these peasants will be painfully easy. I'm going to enjoy tearing them apart.'  
  
***  
  
The following day. All of the fans were seated in the stands while the fighters stood on the main floor surrounding the ring. Many of the first round matches had already been fought. Sakura was now about to have her first fight in the tournament. She was already in the ring doing some basic stretching exercises. Either she didn't notice all the rude cat calls she got every time her skirt lifted up or she was ignoring them.  
  
"Hey Ryu, how long did you say this girl has been into martial arts?"  
  
"About a year, why?"  
  
"There's a lot of serious competition here. Don't you think she might get hurt?"  
  
"I've thought about that. But I haven't actually seen her fight yet, so who knows? She might surprise us."  
  
The lights got dark and the crowd grew silent. Then a figure could be seen rolling down the aisle and leaping into the ring. The lights suddenly came back on, revealing it to be none other than Dan Hibiki.  
  
"Oh crap," Ryu whispered under his breath.  
  
"Hey, isn't that Dan?"  
  
"Yeah. I wonder how he got invited to this tournament."  
  
Dan struck a pose and looked at Sakura. "So, you must be my opponent. Ha. This is going to be too easy. For you see, I am the master of Saikyo-ryu and therefore-"  
  
Before he could finish, Sakura ran toward him and punched him in the stomach. Then she hit him in the face and threw a kick into his head, sending him to the floor.  
  
Dan stood to his feet. "Hey! That's no fair! I wasn't ready! That was a cheap shot!"  
  
The instant Dan's ranting was over, Sakura fired a hadoken blast that hit him in the chest.  
  
"Hadoken!"  
  
"Ow! My nipple!" Sakura ran toward him and hit him under the chin with a rising uppercut.  
  
"Shou-ou-ken!"  
  
Dan landed flat on his back. Sakura jumped on his chest and started pounding him repeatedly in the face.  
  
"Shouldn't we help him?" Ken asked.  
  
"She'll stop when she's ready," Ryu answered.  
  
Sakura finally stopped her onslaught and stood up with her fist raised in the air. "Yay! I won!"  
  
Dan was still on his back, twitching and bleeding. "Ow. How could I be defeated by a little girl? I have mastered the most powerful style in the world."  
  
"Shut up!" Sakura kicked him in the balls.  
  
Dan rolled over holding himself. "My nads, my nads, oh my nads."  
  
"So, that's Dan huh?" said Ken.  
  
"Yeah, that's Dan."  
  
***  
  
Many days have passed. Because of the vast number of fighters competing in the tournament, it was still in its early stages. To say that the fights have been bloody would be an understatement. Many matches ended with the losers having broken bones or internal injuries. Not to mention Dan's condition.  
  
The crowd became silent and a strange military music sounded across the arena. A man dressed like a sergeant with a red beret on his head walked down the aisle. He carried a baton in his hand, and had a group of similarly dressed men following him to the ring.  
  
Ken couldn't help but laugh. "Who's this guy?"  
  
"His name is Rolento," Guile answered. "He's an old Vietnam veteran. The war caused his mind to snap and he's been trying to build an army for the past several years to fight a war that ended long ago."  
  
"So how come you guys aren't doing anything about this psycho."  
  
"We've been too busy with Shadowlaw. And besides, I don't think we'll have to worry about him after this match anyway."  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"Didn't you happen to notice who he's fighting?"  
  
"No, who?"  
  
Once Rolento was in the ring, another music began playing. It sounded like something that would be played for a Spanish matador. Vega appeared on the opposite side of the arena with his mask in one hand and his claw attached to the other.  
  
Ken's jaw dropped when he realized who it was. "Now I recognize him. He was with Bison. Why the hell would he be the spokesperson for the tournament?"  
  
Vega leaped into the ring and put his mask on. Then he looked up and saw a giant, chain-link cage near the ceiling. He pointed toward the cage with his claw. Moments later it began to lower itself around the ring.  
  
When the cage was lowered, Rolento held his baton over his head and began spinning it rapidly around his finger. He dashed toward Vega and swung the spinning baton at his head. Despite Rolento's above average speed, he seemed to be moving in slow motion for Vega. Vega easily ducked the attack. Rolento brought the baton back around, aiming it at his legs. Vega jumped over it and kicked Rolento in the face.  
  
Rolento staggered back. The baton stopped spinning. Vega still had not taken a defensive stance. Rolento swung the baton down toward his opponent's head. Vega stepped to the side and kicked him in the face. Rolento spun around and swung the stick again. Vega ducked and sweeped Rolento off his feet.   
  
Rolento got up and leaped backwards. As he soared through the air, he pulled a small knife out of his pocket and threw it at Vega. Vega caught it between his fingers with his unclawed hand and threw it back. The knife stabbed into Rolento's shoulder, causing him fall from the air. As Rolento pulled the knife out of his shoulder, Vega jumped into the air and fell towards him, preparing to stab him with his claws. Rolento rolled backwards several times to escape him. Then he leaped toward Vega and swung his baton at him. Vega saw him coming a mile away. He blocked the baton with his claw and kicked him in the side of the ribs.  
  
Rolento stood up and looked at the cage that they were fighting in. He then ran away from Vega towards the side of the cage. Seemingly predicting his actions, Vega ran to his own side of cage. The two men jumped toward the cage and bounced off of it simutaneously. As they flew toward eachother, Rolento threw his foot forward in an attempt to kick Vega. But Vega had leaped just a bit higher than Rolento. He kicked Rolento's foot out of the way and grabbed him. Then he flipped upside-down in midair and drove Rolento headfirst into the concrete. He then bounced far away and landed on his feet with cat-like agility.  
  
'How can he move like that?' Ken thought. 'It's almost like he's flying.'  
  
Rolento slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees. Without Vega noticing, he grabbed a grenade off his uniform and threw it at him. The grenade exploded the instant it landed. The fans and fighters looked at each other as if to ask, 'Is that legal?'  
  
Rolento stood up. But when the smoke cleared, Vega was nowhere to be found. The crowd gasped in unison when they saw him. He was holding on to the top of the cage right above Rolento. It was unknown how he'd managed to maneuver up there. Rolento looked up, but it was too late. Vega dove down raked his claws deep into his back. Rolento let out a blood chilling shriek and fell down on his face. Whether or not he was killed in that attack may never be known.  
  
The cage lifted and a few of Rolento's men dragged him out of the ring. Vega lifted his claw and swung it down, causing blood to splatter across the floor. After all that, he had not even broken a sweat. He began rolling his wild eyes across the crowd of fighters before him. Suddenly, he stopped and squinted his eyes when he saw Ken.  
  
Vega pointed at Ken and motioned for him to come into the ring. Somewhat confused, Ken reluctantly stepped inside the ring. "Lower the cage," said Vega's muffled voice from under the mask.  
  
The cage immediately came back down. Ken raised an eyebrow. "There's got to be at least a hundred fighters out here," he said. "Why do you want to challenge me?"  
  
"I may be an assasin, but I still have a sense of honor. We never got the oppurtunity to finish our fight from before. It seems only fitting that we do so now." Vega went into his fighting stance.  
  
"You fight an unarmed man with a claw? What kind of honor is that?"  
  
"I choose not to get my hands dirty when handling scum like you. Besides, I barely used it in my last fight. So do you accept my challenge or not?"  
  
Ken smiled and took his fighting stance. "I never backed down from a challenge before. This time I'm gonna finish you off for good you freak."  
  
Vega dashed toward Ken, then dropped to the floor and slid toward him foot first. Ken hopped backwards to avoid the attack. Vega instantly stood up, spun around, and slashed his claws across Ken's chest as he was landing.  
  
Ken staggered backwards holding his bleeding chest. Vega leaped after him and threw a kick to his face. Ken sidestepped it and tried counter with two punches. Vega easily dodjed both of them by moving his head and sent his knee into Ken's stomach.  
  
Ken backed up a few steps to gather his wits. He hopped forward and picked his leg up. Vega raised his guard, preparing for a kick that didn't happen. Ken then spun around and kicked Vega in the stomach. He followed it with a punch to the face. He immediately drew his hand back and shook it. Vega's metal mask did a good job of protecting him.  
  
Vega slashed Ken's arm while he was stunned. Ken stumbled back. Then Vega prepared to stab his claws into Ken's face. Ken bent backwards, missing the razor sharp claws by less than an inch. Ken attempted to hit him with a spinning round kick. Vega leaped backwards while performing a backflip in midair and landed several feet away. Ken tried to catch him off guard with a hadoken blast. Vega rolled under it and slashed his claws across Ken's chest again as he stood up. The hadoken crashed harmlessly into the side of the cage.  
  
'He's too damn fast,' Ken thought. 'I have to do something to slow him down.'  
  
Vega sent his claws toward Ken's heart. Ken ducked and kicked him in the knee. The force of the attack put Vega on his back. He rolled away some distance and stood up. Ken was already running toward him at full speed. At the last possible second, he dropped down and sweeped Vega onto his face with both legs.  
  
Vega stood up, though slower than before. Before he could stand to his full height, Ken stomped his foot into the back of his knee. A loud grunt could be heard underneath his mask. He stood up and staggered away from Ken. There was now an obvious limp in his walk. Ken hopped forward and threw a side kick. Vega did a backflip to avoid the kick. The moment he landed on his feet, he grabbed his leg and went down to one knee. Ken kicked him in the back of the head.  
  
Vega rolled away and stood to his feet. Ken slowly approached him, still aware of his claws. The moment he was in reach, Vega slashed his claws at Ken's head. Ken ducked and countered with an uppercut to the ribs. He continued to punch him in that same spot. Vega was finding it difficult to escape. Finally, he kicked Ken in the face with his good leg, forcing Ken to back away. Ken then rolled forward while kicking Vega across the face.  
  
Ken stood up quickly, while Vega was sent to the floor. He remained there for several seconds. At last he got up to his hands and knees. Ken could hear him laughing. He wasn't sure if Vega was enjoying the challenge or if he'd just gone insane. Then, out of nowhere, Vega turned around and attempted to stab Ken in the face. Ken instinctively grabbed his wrist with both hands. Vega's claws were right in front of his eyes, and they were getting closer by the second. Finally, Ken dropped onto his back and kicked Vega in the stomach. Vega flew over his head and landed on the hard concrete.  
  
Ken closed his eyes and took a deep breath, relieved that he didn't get his eyes gouged out. Then he heard something hit the cage. He snapped his eyes open to see Vega flying above him, preparing to stab his claws into Ken's neck. Ken quickly stood up and launched himself into the air with his fist blazing with fire.  
  
"Shoryuken!"  
  
Ken's fist collided with Vega's face. Vega was sent spinning through the air and landed on his stomach. He got up to one knee. His mask had been broken in half. He tore off what was left of it and touched his face. Then he held his hand in front of him and watched the blood drip down his fingers. His hand began shaking uncontrollably.  
  
"My...my face! What have you done to me?!"  
  
Vega ran toward him in blind rage and began swinging his claws in a wild, animalistic manner. Ken was barely able to avoid the strikes. Finally, he grabbed Vega's clawed arm and put it in a painful joint lock. He then set Vega's hand on his knee and chopped his claws to pieces. Vega pulled his hand away and stared at what was left of his claws.  
  
"No!"  
  
Ken charged toward him and began alternating spinning kicks to the knee and face.  
  
"Shippuuuuuu..."  
  
Ken then went into a diagnal hurricane kick. The force of the attack lifted Vega into the air with him as it pounded away at his face.  
  
"Jinrai kyaku!"  
  
At last the attack ended. Vega was thrown against the side of the cage. As he slowly slid down to the floor, the cage ripped flesh from his back. His most prized possesion, his face, was now a bloody mess.  
  
***  
  
Later that day. Ryu had spent most of his time away from the other fighters while he did his special training. Ken had told him earlier about his fight with Vega. It did seem strange that the man speaking before the tournament started just so happened to be Shadowloo's highest ranking assassin. Ryu had a bad feeling about his next fight. He could hear the announcer begin to speak.  
  
"And her opponent. The Street Fighting Champion, Ryuuuuuuuuuuu!"  
  
Ryu tensed when he heard those words. No other tournament had ever mentioned that he was the Street Fighting champion. Most assumed he was just another guy named Ryu. He hadn't told anyone that he was the champion.  
  
Ryu stepped out of the entrance way and walked toward the ring. The crowd's reaction to him was varied. Some Thai fans, who were loyal to Sagat even after his death, booed him. Others, who were excited to finally see Ryu, cheered him. The rest couldn't believe that after all this time, Ryu was actually making himself known.  
  
Ryu stepped into the ring. His opponent was already waiting for him. It was that same girl that he'd seen before. Ryu couldn't help but notice that strange, but familiar, aura emanating from her. She grabbed her coat and threw it to the side. The first thing Ryu noticed about her were her cold, emotionless eyes. Then he began to recognize her. She too had assisted Bison on that fateful night.  
  
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Ken. "That makes two of Shadowlaw's best agents. What's going on here Guile?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Don't give me that crap. There's something you're not telling us."  
  
Guile let out a deep breath. "Alright. I got word that Shadowlaw was the one hosting this tournament. That's why I'm here."  
  
Ken's eyes widened. "Shadowlaw's hosting the tournament?! Why didn't you tell us this earlier?"  
  
"There was no reason for you to know."  
  
"What do you mean no reason to know? As much problems as Shadowlaw's been giving us, you think there's no reason to know?"  
  
Before Ryu could get ready, Cammy ran toward and threw a lightning quick kick to his head. Ryu was barely able to get his guard up to block the surprisingly powerful strike. Cammy spun around and fired another kick, followed by another. Ryu blocked the kicks and tried to sweep her legs. Cammy leaped over it and landed on his shoulders in a sitting position. Then she flipped over and sent Ryu crashing into the ground.  
  
Ryu stood up slowly, still feeling the effects of the last attack. Cammy punched him hard in the side of the head as he was standing. Then she punched him in the stomach, followed by a forearm to the face. Ryu staggered back holding his jaw.  
  
'How can someone that small generate so much power,' he thought. He looked back to see Cammy standing completely still in her fighting stance. Ryu couldn't stop staring at her eyes. They seemed more robotic than human. Then hit him. 'Now I know where I've felt that aura. It's the same as Bison's, but not as powerful. How can that be?'  
  
Before he could contemplate this situation, she ran toward him again and unleashed a powerful barrage of punches and kicks. Blocking all of these attacks was wreaking havoc on Ryu's arms. Finally, he grabbed one of her punches and threw her over his shoulder. Seemingly unphased, she quickly sweeped him off his feet as she stood up.  
  
Ryu rolled away to gain some distance before he stood up. Once he did so, he saw her flying toward him like a ball. Ryu raised his guard, expecting a strike to the head. Instead, she dropped on the ground and slid toward him, knocking his legs out from under him.  
  
Ryu got up to his hands and knees. But as he did, Cammy wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and put him back on the ground with a suplex. Ryu got up as quickly as he could. Cammy threw two fast punches to his head. Ryu blocked them and fired a kick to her stomach. Cammy backed up a few steps before launching herself at him feet first while spinning through the air. Both of her feet struck him in the sternum.  
  
Both fighters fell on their backs. Cammy leaped to her feet almost immediately, while Ryu struggled to stand. Cammy approached him and threw a punch to his face. Ryu, almost instinctively, grabbed her fist and punched her in the side. He punched several more times in the stomach and kicked her leg. Cammy went down to one knee. Ryu couldn't pass this moment of vulnerability. He raised his fist above his head and slammed it hard into her head.  
  
Cammy stumbled back. She was now bleeding from the forehead, but she didn't seem to notice. Ryu squatted down and started gathering energy into his hands. Cammy leaped, what must have been, at least 40 ft. into the air and dove down toward him with her leg outstretched. Just before she made contact, Ryu threw his hands forward and unleashed a tremendously powerful hadoken blast.  
  
"Hadoken!"  
  
The blast looked as if it were larger than Cammy's body. It swallowed her up and produced a massive explosion. Cammy flew out of the cloud of smoke shortly thereafter and landed on her stomach. The crowd began cheering wildly. Ryu went down to one knee and rested his hands on the floor. That attack had drained alot of his energy.  
  
Several seconds later, Cammy got up to her knees and held her head. Ryu stood up and went back to his fighting stance. Cammy began looking around in a confused manner. "Where am I?" she asked. "How did I get in these clothes?"  
  
Ryu relaxed his arms. The emotionless expression in her eyes was now replaced by a look of fear. Ryu felt her aura. That strange energy was still there, but no where near as intense as it was. 'Bison must have done something to her,' he thought.  
  
Ryu slowly approached her. She backed away when she saw him. "It's okay," Ryu said calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you." Ryu offered his hand to her.  
  
Cammy stared at him for a long time. Then, she reluctantly took his hand and stood up. The crowd cheered again, believing this to be a simple act of sportmanship from the champion.  
  
***  
  
High above the others was a personal skybox where Bison watched these things take place. He slammed his fists into the desk in front of him. "Damn it!" Bison was hoping that Cammy would be able to defeat Ryu and capture him. Not only had this plan failed, but it also seemed that he had lost Cammy as well.  
  
"Freeze!" yelled a female voice behind him. "You're under arrest, Bison! Put your hands where I can see them and slowly stand up."  
  
Bison rotated his metal chair to find Chun Li pointing a gun at him. He casually stood up. "So, we meet again Miss Li."  
  
"You stay were you are. I WILL shoot."  
  
Bison smirked and took a step forward.  
  
"I said don't move!"  
  
Bison took another step forward. Without a moment's hesitation, Chun Li fired the gun. But once the bullet flew out of the barrel, it slowed down to a crawl. It looked like it was coming toward him in slow motion.  
  
Bison walked closer to the bullet. "You pitiful humans rely to much on these little toys." Bison flicked the bullet away with his finger while Chun Li stared in shock.  
  
"How did you that?" she asked.  
  
"What? You mean this?" Bison raised his hand. As if by command, the gun flew out of Chun Li's grip and into his. Bison then crushed it to pieces and dropped it on the floor. Chun Li just watched with her mouth wide open. Bison smiled again. "I really must compliment you on getting past my security. Would please tell me how you did it?"  
  
Instead of answering, Chun Li ran toward him and unleashed long combination of blindingly fast kicks. Despite their awesome speed, Bison blocked each one with expert precision. His defense was incredible. It was like he predicted her every attack before it happened. Finally, he stopped her offense with a punch to the stomach that sent her sliding across the floor.  
  
"My, my, you certainly seem to be an angry little girl," he said.  
  
Chun Li slowly climbed to her feet while holding her stomach. The look in her eyes was one of utter hatred. "You killed my father you bastard!"  
  
"I've killed lots of fathers. Could you please be more specific?"  
  
Chun Li fired a kikoken blast at him. The blast bounced off his chest and hit Chun Li. The force of the attack sent her into a nearby wall. Before she could slide down to the floor, Bison raised his hand and summoned her throat into his grasp.  
  
The moment Bison looked into her eyes, he saw her entire life flash before him. "Now I see. Your father was that annoying Interpol agent that wouldn't leave me alone." Bison's grip around her neck tightened. "Something just had to be done about him. He actually came close to bringing Shadowloo down. I guess that proves that good guys don't always win after all."  
  
Chun Li struggled against him as hard as she could, but Bison wouldn't budge. Eventually, she passed out from lack of air. Then an idea came to Bison's mind. He threw down her unconscious form and looked back out the window. He could see Ryu helping Cammy back to the locker rooms. "Hmm, perhaps this girl can be of some use to me alive."  
  
Bison pushed a button on his intercom. "I need some guards to clean up a little mess I've made." A few of Bison's men came into the room shortly thereafter. "Take her to the dungeon," he commanded.  
  
The guards followed their orders and dragged Chun Li's body away. Once they were gone Bison stared back out the window.  
  
"I am not a patient man Ryu. I grow tired of playing these games. It's time to bring this story to an end. You will submit to me...or you will perish."  
  
  
[Insert stupid author's notes title]: Just here to let you know that there's only a couple of chapters left. Like I said before, things might happen that keep me from updating, but I'll do my best not to let that happen. If it does, then please don't forget about my story because I will EVENTUALLY finish it. By the way, if you've never seen the Ken/Vega fight from the Street Fighter V series then I suggest you do so. I consider it to be one of the best anime fights I've ever seen. Jes has spoken. 


	11. The Awakening

The Awakening  
  
"So you don't remember anything?" Guile asked.  
  
Cammy shook her head. Her, Ryu, Ken, and Guile were currently staying in the room provided for Ryu, which looked more like a prison cell. The three men were standing around her as she sat on the small mattress, staring at the floor.  
  
"I remember I was asleep. Some guy with a claw and a mask came in through my window and grabbed me. I tried to fight back, but he cut my cheek. I think I passed out after that. When I woke up, I was strapped to some weird machine. A big man in a red uniform started talking to me." Cammy held her arm, remembering the pain she felt on that day. "His hand was so hot. I'm not sure what happened after that."  
  
"Damn it, there has to be something you can tell us!" Guile yelled.  
  
"Calm down, Guile. She said she doesn't know anything," Ryu said.  
  
"Can't one of you tell me what's going on?" Cammy asked.  
  
"You were captured by Shadowloo. I think their leader was controlling you some how."  
  
"Controlling me? What do you mean?"  
  
"As in using you for one of his soldiers," Ken interrupted.  
  
"But why me?"  
  
Just then, a loud knock came from the door. Guile slowly cracked it open to see a small man in a tuxedo holding an envelope. "I have a letter for Ryu," he said.  
  
"Who's it from?" asked Guile.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to tell you, sir."  
  
Ryu walked to the door and took the letter. After dismissing the man he opened the envelope and read what was inside.  
  
  
'Hello Ryu. I'm guessing by now you know that I am the one behind all this. I hope you've enjoyed my little tournament, but sadly it is time for all this to come to an end. I have Chun Li with me. She's in my dungeon right now. You remember the dungeon don't you? If you want her back, you'll have to come and get her. I'm willing to make a deal with you. If you pledge your loyalty to me, then I might decide to spare her life. I'll be waiting for you.  
  
Bison'  
  
  
Ryu's eyes were wide open by the time he finished. "Bison has Chun Li," he whispered.  
  
"What?!" Guile exclaimed.  
  
"Shit! How'd he get her?" Ken asked.  
  
"She was assigned to track down Bison and arrest him during the tournament. He must have gotten her then."  
  
"You mean Chun Li's been here the whole time?! Is there anything else are you're not telling us?"  
  
"That's enough," Ryu said. "We have to get her back."  
  
"It's obviously a trap."  
  
"I don't care. I know what being in that dungeon is like. There's no telling what he might do to her. We can't just leave her there."  
  
"I'd love to get her back as much as you do," Guile said. "But we don't even know where his base is located."  
  
"One of us does." Ryu looked back at Cammy.  
  
"I told you, I don't remember anything."  
  
Ryu sat down beside her. "Deep down I think you do. "A wise man once told me that all the power in the universe is hidden within the mind. We need you to think as hard as you can. Can you do that for us?"  
  
"I can try," she answered.  
  
Cammy closed her eyes. She still had some memories, but she couldn't make sense out of any of them. She focused her mind on those memories, hoping that more would come to her. She could see a large, dark forest. There was a hole in the ground. Within it was a huge, underground area filled with strange machines and soldiers around every corner.  
  
She opened her eyes. "I think I got it," she said.  
  
"You know where Bison's headquarters is at?" asked Guile.  
  
"I think so. I can take you there."  
  
"Alright then. Lets go," said Ryu.  
  
"No."  
  
Everyone in the room turned around to find none other than Rose standing in the corner.  
  
"Who are you?! How'd you get in here?!" asked Ken.  
  
"Rose?!"  
  
Rose walked closer to Ryu, ignoring the others. "The time isn't right Ryu. You still are not ready."  
  
"Ready for what?"  
  
"To fight Bison. He is too powerful and you still have not accepted what you are."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Have you already forgotten what Gen has told you?"  
  
"Gen? Ryu, what is she talking about?" Ken asked.  
  
"It's nothing,"  
  
"Nothing? I would say it's very significant." Rose said.  
  
"It's completely ridiculous! And besides, what do you expect me to do? Would you prefer that I sit here and do nothing while Chun Li rots away in that hell he has her in?!"  
  
Rose could see the determination in his eyes. "I see there is nothing I can say to stop you. Very well. If I cannot stop you, then I can at least go with you."  
  
"Fine. Something tells me we're going to need all the help we can get. Cammy, lead the way."  
  
***  
  
The group of fighters made their way deeper into a huge forest. The sun was was beginning to set, causing the sky to become a strange blood red color that none of them had ever seen before.  
  
"We're getting closer," said Cammy.  
  
"Rose, there's something I want to ask you," Ryu said quietly. "When you came to me for the first time in that dream... was Bison the person that you were referring to?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The person that I had to defeat. Were you talking about Bison?"  
  
"Now is not the time Ryu."  
  
"If not now, then when?"  
  
"Just relax. Your answers will come with time."  
  
"This is it," Cammy said. The five warriors were now standing in front of, what appeared to be, a large, metal, circular door in the ground.  
  
"How do we open it?" asked Guile.  
  
"Oh. I think it was... a lever... in one these bushes."  
  
Cammy began searching through some nearby bushes for a lever to open the door. The others waited patiently. At last, the door opened.  
  
"Alright. Lets go," said Guile.  
  
"Wait," Cammy said. "I never touched anything."  
  
The group stared back at the hole in surprise. Then, suddenly, a group of girls in black uniforms leaped out of it and landed behind them. The fighters turned around quickly. The girls were standing straight up. They all had that same dead look in their eyes that Cammy had before. Then, from behind came an all to familiar laugh.  
  
The group looked back toward the hole. Bison slowly rose out it with his arms crossed in front of him and sparks of psycho power dancing all over his body. He was now levitating high above them, staring straight down at Ryu.  
  
"So, you've all decided to come help your precious Chun Li. How touching. I was expecting only Ryu, but the more the merrier."  
  
"Why?" asked Ryu. "Why me? Is it because I'm the champion? You could have any other fighter in the world."  
  
Bison shook his head. "You poor boy. You still haven't realized how powerful you really are. Their is a great power deep inside you Ryu. I need it. That's why I've chosen you."  
  
Rose stepped forward. "We're not just here to get Chun Li back. We're here to bring an end to your tyranny."  
  
Bison looked at Rose. He slowly descended to the earth and landed some distance in front of her. "Hm, Rose. We finally meet. I thought I'd detected a power similar to mine. Interesting that you've decided to take Ryu's side."  
  
"Why must you live your life like this?" Rose asked. "You have so much power. You could do so much for the world."  
  
"What do you think I'm doing? Don't you understand? All I ever wanted was to set you free."  
  
"By making us your slaves?!" yelled Cammy.  
  
"You're already slaves! You're slaves to your own emotions. All humans are actors. They preach things such as honor and justice, and then forsake those things when it's most convenient for them. That's why the humans need a leader like me. So they can shed this ridiculous exterior and be free to live their lives as the chaotic, merciless creatures they are. The world needs to change, and I will bring it about!"  
  
"I will not allow your rule to take over this world, Bison," Rose said. "If necessary I will destroy you myself."  
  
Bison chuckled. "You will destroy me?" His chuckle turned into a roaring laugh. "Do you not understand what I am? I have existed since the creation of this pitiful race in one form or another. Over the centuries my power has grown and matured, and now it is to the point of being invinsible. Your soul power is strong, but it is still in its infancy. How can you hope to destroy the manifestation of evil itself? I am immortal! Pain is the water that I drink! Destruction is the food that I eat! As long as war and hatred exists, then so shall I!"  
  
Thunder exploded and lightning flashed across the sky. In the clouds, the lightning seemed to be in the shape of a skull.  
  
"Very well, Rose! If you wish to destroy me so badly, then come and get me! Dolls! Attack the others, but leave this one to me! Let the battle begin!"  
  
Bison's 'dolls' took a fighting stance. "Cammy, go get Chun Li. We'll handle them," Ryu said quietly.  
  
"I want to help fight."  
  
"Chun Li needs your help right now. Go while we distract them."  
  
"Alright." Cammy snuck past the others and made her way into Shadowloo's base.  
  
Once Cammy was gone, the dolls began to circle Ryu, Ken, and Guile.  
  
Bison threw a ball of psycho power at Rose. Rose grabbed it with her scarf and sent it back toward him. Bison teleported in front of her to avoid it and punched her in the stomach. Rose staggered back. Bison leaped high into the air. Rose flew up and grabbed him. She then began charging her soul power into him. Seemingly unaffected, Bison lifted her hands off of him and threw her over his shoulder. Rose crashed into the ground and let out a loud grunt. She opened her eyes and saw Bison diving toward her. She quickly rolled out of the way. Bison hit the ground, throwing up a large cloud of dust.  
  
"Sonic Boom!"  
  
The wave of energy knocked down three of the dolls. They quickly returned to their feet. "We keep knocking them down, and they keep getting back up. How are we supposed to stop these things?" Guile asked.  
  
"We just have to keep fighting them," Ryu said. The three fighters were severely outnumbered and it was obvious that the dolls had received some kind of strength enhancement. Still, the warriors fought on.  
  
Bison threw one lightning fast punch after another. Rose was barely able to dodje the attacks. Bison surprised her by throwing a kick to her side. The attack sent Rose into a tree. She could see Bison slowly approaching her. She whipped her scarf forward and fired a ball of soul power. Bison slapped it away and continued his approach. The ball crashed into a tree which exploded into splinters. Bison then began thrashing her with a long, violent combination of punches. He ended it with a right hook that threw her off her feet and sent her sliding across the rough ground.  
  
Rose sat up and saw Bison walking toward her. She knew she had to stop him at all costs. She charged her scarf with her soul power and swung it at him. Bison grabbed it. Rose charged as much soul power into the scarf as she possibly could. Bison opened his hand and sent a little of his psycho power into it. Rose went flying 40 ft. away and landed with a hard thud. Bison's psycho power had done tremendous damage, and her previous effort had drained almost all of her energy.  
  
Bison teleported next to her and kicked her hard in the stomach. The kick lifted her off the ground. She landed several more feet away. She picked her head up and coughed into her hand. Blood dripped between her fingers. She looked up at Bison. He smiled at her and turned his attention to Ryu. He then levitated out of sight. Rose tried to push herself up, but fell back down.  
  
'No. I hoped I could have at least weakened him before he fought Ryu. Why does it have to be this way?'  
  
Two dolls came at Ryu from each side. One threw a punch while the other threw a chop to his neck. Ryu blocked both strikes and saw another one coming at him from the front. He kicked her away, then leaped up and kicked the ones at his side with both feet. Then Bison suddenly descended in front of him, levitating a few feet off the ground.  
  
"Nice work Ryu. Are you ready to begin working for me?"  
  
"What have you done to Rose?"  
  
"I haven't killed her yet. You haven't answered my question."  
  
"I'll never work for you!"  
  
"You fool. Why do you do this to yourself? All you ever do is fight in those pathetic tournaments, and never accomplish anything. You're to powerful to be wasting your life on the streets. Why don't you come with me? Together we can change the world."  
  
"Any world that has you as its ruler is not one that I want to live in."  
  
"Then perhaps you could use some persuasion." Bison raised his fist which began glowing with psycho power. The presence of the psycho power seemed to summon the evil intent within him. Ryu hunched over, trying to keep the demon from surfacing. He could actually feel his blood pumping through his veins. His body was filled the violent urge to destroy everything around him.  
  
'No. Not now. This battle is too important.'  
  
Ryu's muscles bulged and his eyes turned white. His body was in unspeakable pain, which he knew wouldn't go away until he destroyed something or someone. On instinct alone, he went into a hadoken stance and began gathering energy into his hands. He then turned his attention to Rose, then Guile, and then Ken. All intelligent thoughts had been pushed aside. Now, he was simply deciding who his victim would be.  
  
All of a sudden, he could hear Rose's voice in his head. 'Ryu. Don't give in to it. Remember what I told you. Fight with both your power and your spirit. Fight it Ryu! Destroy the evil intent! The entire world is depending on you!'  
  
"Raaah!"  
  
Ryu turned toward Bison and released a gigantic wave hado energy. Bison put both hands in front of him to block it. The wave crashed into him. Although he was able to defend against it, it pushed him backwards a great distance.  
  
Ryu lifted his head to the heavens. His entire form became black like a shadow. A red ten symbol came out of his body and floated above his head.  
  
"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"  
  
The ten symbol disappeared. Ryu fell to his knees and returned to his normal color.  
  
Bison threw his hands up and released the hado energy into the sky. He watched it fly off into the distance, then looked at Ryu in disgust. Ryu was struggling to catch his breath. He looked up and smiled proudly at Bison. The evil intent had been exorcised. Ryu climbed to his feet.  
  
"You have made a fatal mistake, Ryu. I gave you the chance to rule at my side, and you blew it. Now you will pay with your life."  
  
Bison raised his fists in front of him. Psycho power began crackling all over his body. The ground cracked. The wind began blowing violently. Lightning flashed mercilessly across the sky. The entire earth shook with Bison's incredible power.  
  
"Crap! I've never felt anything like this!" said Ken.  
  
"It's making my heart beat faster! I knew he was powerful, but I never thought it went this far!" Guile said.  
  
Rose stood up. "So much energy. It's enough to destroy the planet. What is he going to do?"  
  
Ryu stared in amazement at the awesome power displayed by Bison. Not knowing what to expect, he went into a defensive position.  
  
Bison's body was wrapped in a huge purple flame. He reached up with one hand and grabbed his wrist. Then he launched himself toward Ryu like a torpedo at the speed of light. He crashed into Ryu with the force of a speeding semi-truck. The whole area echoed with a sickening CRACK! Ryu flew backwards as purple flames burned his flesh. He fell to the earth. Psycho power crackled over his body for a moment, then all was still. His eyes were closed and his limbs rested limp at his sides.  
  
The other three fighters gasped in unison. Ken ran toward Ryu's fallen form and knelt down beside him. "Ryu! Are you okay?! Ryu, say something! Come on! Get up! Get up, damn it! Ryu! No!"  
  
Ken was shaking him, trying to wake him up. Ryu was lying completely still. Ken began to remember all the times he'd spent with Ryu. All his thoughts came back to one conclusion. Ryu was dead.  
  
Rose looked down at Ryu's body in shock. 'This can't be. Without Ryu, there is no hope. We're all doomed.'  
  
Bison slowly descended from the sky and landed on the ground. "What a pity. Such a waste of talent. You cannot understand how disappointed I am. But Ryu wouldn't cooperate, and that simply could not be tolerated."  
  
Ken stood up and looked at Bison with a gaze that could make hell freeze over. "You! You monster! What have you done?!  
  
"What's it look like? I killed him."  
  
"I won't let you get away with this! I'll make you pay!"  
  
Chun Li cupped her hands in front of her and began gathering energy into them.  
  
"So now you think you can destroy me? Do you really believe that a worthless human such as yourself can kill an immortal?"  
  
The energy gathered into a large ball of chi. She launched it toward Bison at an incredible speed. Just before it hit him, he vanished. Ken dodjed out of the way, and the blast smashed into a tree.  
  
"Where'd he go? I thought I could sneak up on him." Both Chun Li and Cammy had secretly watched what had happened to Ryu. Suddenly, Bison fell from the sky and landed on top of Chun Li, forcing her face first into the ground. He casually stepped off of her. Then Cammy ran toward him and threw a punch. He blocked it and hit her in the stomach, sending her on her back. Both women quickly got up and backed away toward the rest of the group. Bison's dolls went into a fighting position.  
  
Bison signaled for them to stop. "No." He lifted his fists. In a moment they both began glowing blue with psycho power. "You want to defeat me so badly. Go ahead and try. I'll crush all of you by myself."  
  
Ken was the first to attack. He ran at Bison at full speed and threw a spinning kick to his head. Bison leaned back to avoid it and punched him in the spine with his burning fist. Then he kicked him away.  
  
Guile and Chun Li came at him at both sides. Guile threw a punch to his face while Chun Li threw a kick. Bison grabbed both attacks and began burning their flesh with his hands. Cammy jumped on his back and put him in a sleeper hold. He could see Rose gliding toward him. Bison then lifted his hands beside him, and knocked them all away with an invisible force.  
  
Ken got up and fired a hadoken blast.  
  
"Hadoken!"  
  
Bison flipped over the blast and kicked him with both feet as he landed. Bison threw two shots to the stomach. Then he hit in the face with a left hook and sent him flying away with an uppercut. Bison saw Guile standing up and flew toward him. Guile saw him coming. He quickly squatted down, then launched himself into the air, attempting to knock him down with a flash kick. Bison flew backwards to dodje the kick then did a backflip and dove down toward him. He crashed into him as he was landing and drove him into the earth.  
  
Rose snuck up behind him and grabbed his neck. She then began charging her soul power into him. Bison pulled her hands off of him. Then he turned around and kicked her hard in the stomach. He lifted her above his head with his foot. Then he slammed her into the ground.  
  
'Five of the strongest fighters on earth and we still can't beat him," Rose thought. 'Is this how it's going to end?'  
  
Bison could see Cammy spinning toward him in the air. As she landed, she threw a backfist to his face. Bison grabbed her wrist with one hand and grabbed her forehead with the other, while initiating his psycho power.  
  
"So now you attack me after all I've done for you?" he said as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "If their's one thing I hate, it's a traitor. Now I'll make you suffer!" With one final blast of psycho power, Cammy was sent spinning through the air. She landed on her stomach, unconscious. "Two down, four more to go," he said merrily.  
  
The four remaining warriors lined up beside each other and began charging their energies. In unison, Ken fired a hadoken blast, Guile threw a sonic boom, Chun Li shot a kikoken, and Rose fired a soul spark. Just as the four projectiles were about to hit him, Bison swung his hands in an arc in front of him, causing the air to ripple. The projectiles were all thrown in different directions.  
  
Bison then ducked down and slid toward his enemies. He knocked them down like bowling pins. When they got up, Chun Li was the closest to him. She could see him approaching her. She ran and jumped toward one of the trees. Then she bounced off of it fell toward him, preparing to dig her heel into the top of his head. He leaped after her, grabbed her face in midair, and threw her back down. As she got up to her hands and knees, he walked closer to her and stomped on her back.  
  
"Senpuu Kyaku!"  
  
Bison turned around to see Ken quickly spinning toward him with his leg outstretched. He raised his guard and easily blocked the oncoming kicks. As Ken came back down, Bison recharged his fists with psycho power. He then punched Ken in the stomach so hard that it lifted him off his feet. The air was driven out of Ken's body, and a few drops of blood spilled from his mouth. Bison then sent another punch to his face. Ken was sent speeding backwards through the air. He went through several trees, but they didn't slow him down. Ken hit the ground and continued sliding backwards. Finally, he stopped when his head hit a large rock. Blood splattered against the rock. Ken was a bloody mess. He tried to sit up, but fell back down.  
  
'We can't even touch him,' he thought. 'He's too powerful. But I can't give up now. I still have to make him pay for what he did to Ryu.'  
  
***  
  
Ryu found himself upon a cliff overlooking an ocean. The water seemed to be a strange violet color, instead of the normal blue. Grey storm clouds hung from the sky. From time to time a flash of lightning would appear from the clouds and bring forth a quiet rumble.  
  
Suddenly, an explosion of thunder got his attention. Ryu looked up and saw a shadowy figure standing on a cliff above him. He seemed to be wearing a karate gi similar to his own. His arms were crossed before him and his long hair flapped in the wind.  
  
Ryu stared up at him in awe. He looked closer, hoping he could make out his features. All he could see was blackness. Ryu couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "Who are you?!" he yelled. The figure said nothing. Instead, it continued to stare down at Ryu, still as a statue while the wind knocked his hair up and down. "Answer me!" Ryu commanded impatiently. Still nothing. Then, out of nowhere, another lightning blast lit up the area. In that brief moment, all he could see were his eyes. They were the most intense pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life.  
  
The figure stepped off the cliff and seemed to float down to Ryu's level. His gi was a dark grey. His long hair and thick mustache were also grey with age. His eyes were the same fiery brown color as Ryu's. Then, Ryu recognized who this person was. "You! You're.....Sheng Long!"  
  
"I am you," he said. "And you are me. We are one and the same."  
  
Ryu looked on in disbelief, with his eyes widened and his lips parted. Sheng Long walked closer to him so that he was standing right in front of him. "It is time, Ryu. Time to accept who you are and to fullfill our destiny."  
  
There was a flash of white light. Then, Ryu saw something else. He saw hundreds of Shotokan students standing in front of him throwing punches in the air. He saw a huge arena with two warriors having a bloody battle in the middle of it. He saw a whole army lying dead at his feet. An entire life flashed before his eyes. A life that wasn't his, but someone else's. He could hear Sheng Long's voice in his head.  
  
"My goal is to understand that which cannot be seen, to feel that which cannot be touched, to think beyond the realm of thought. Only by constantly testing myself in battle can I accomplish these things."  
  
And then Ryu understood everything. "I am the Sheng Long."  
  
Back in reality, Ryu took a deep breath and snapped his eyes open.  
  
***  
  
Bison let out an insane laughter as he watched Ken struggle to his feet. "After all this, you still want to continue? Have you not realized how futile your attempts are? Very well. I'm just getting warmed up." Bison raised his fists, waiting for Ken to get close enough to him to pummel him once again. But suddenly his smile dropped into a frown. Then Ken could feel it too. So could Guile, Chun Li, and Rose. All of them turned their heads in Ryu's direction.  
  
Ryu was standing on his feet surrounded in a blue aura. The loose strands of his headband swayed back and forth above his head. He was staring straight at Bison. The tremendous power he was emanating was greater than that of all five of his companions put together.  
  
Bison looked back to his dolls. "Dolls! Attack him! Destroy him!"  
  
The mindless girls immediately ran toward Ryu, preparing to attack. Ryu leaped into the air and began hovering in a stationary hurricane kick. He spun so fast, that the wind wrapped around him and caused a huge tornado effect. The tornado pulled in the girls and began tearing them apart. The others watched in awe. Bison held his cape in front of him as the wind tried to pull him in as well.  
  
At last, the attack ended. The girls were lying unconscious all over the battlefield. The wind cleared, revealing Ryu standing in the middle of it with his head bowed and his eyes closed. He slowly lifted his head and took a deep breath. Then he opened his eyes and looked at his allies. "Get out," he said calmly.  
  
"You think you can fight him by yourself?!" Guile said.  
  
"I can handle it from here. Get out now, while you still can."  
  
Guile grabbed Cammy and reluctantly left the battlefield. Chun Li and Rose followed him. Ken walked closer to Ryu. "Hey Ryu."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Ken lifted his fist and smiled. "Come back home safe, okay."  
  
Ryu smiled back. "Alright." The two punched each other's knuckles. Ken turned around and left. Ryu then closed his eyes and faced forward. He reached up and ripped off the top of his gi. Then he opened his eyes and glared at Bison.  
  
Bison grabbed the gold chain that held his long, black cape in place. Then he crushed it to pieces. The cape blew away in the wind. "You should be dead. It seems you have realized how powerful you are after all. But I cannot allow you to live." Bison's fists began glowing blue with psycho power. "All who oppose me will be crushed!"  
  
Ryu went into his fighting stance. "You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance."  
  
Bison glided toward him and began a long combination of punches. Ryu blocked them all, making it look easy. His hands moved so fast that they seemed to blur. Then he saw an opening. He punched Bison hard in the stomach. Bison staggered back. He looked up at Ryu in disbelief. Bison fired another punch at him. Ryu ducked under the punch and kicked him in the back of the head. Bison tumbled forward. He quickly spun around. Ryu stood there completely still, waiting for him to strike again.  
  
Bison took a huge leap backwards. He began gathering energy into his palms. Then he bombarded Ryu with a long series of psycho shots. Ryu continued to stand still as the energy balls exploded around him. The explosions threw dust into the air, covering Ryu's entire form. At last, Bison stopped and rested. He waited for the dust to settle. Then, out of nowhere, a hadoken blast flew out of the dust cloud and struck Bison in the chest. Bison was knocked back several feet. Then Ryu flew toward him completely unscratched and kicked him in the face.  
  
Ryu followed the kick with his own combination of devastating punches. Each one hit its intended target. The final punch sent Bison stumbling backwards. Blood dripped from his lip. He wiped the blood away and looked at it. Then he looked back at Ryu. He ran at him and threw a kick to his knee. Ryu hopped over it and kicked him in the head. Bison threw a punch to his face. Ryu grabbed it and began crushing his knuckles. Bison struggled to break free, but Ryu's grip was to strong. He eventually gave in to the pain and dropped to his knees.  
  
"Let me ask you something, Bison. How many times have you forced someone to bow down to you? How many people have you made your slave? Well who is bowing down to who now?" Ryu clamped down harder on Bison's knuckles. "Bow down to me Bison. You're done. Finished. You have been defeated."  
  
"No!" Bison forced his hand free and glided backwards. "I am the leader of Shadowloo! I will live forever!"  
  
Bison fists began glowing once again. He ran full speed at Ryu. As soon as Bison was in range, Ryu swung his hands back and thrusted them inside Bison's chest. Bison let out a loud grunt. Blood dripped out of his mouth.  
  
"Raaaaaaah!"  
  
A huge beam of hado energy fired out of Bison's back. Once the energy faded away, Bison slowly backed up while holding the bleeding hole in his chest. He then went down to one knee. A faint chuckle escaped from his lips.  
  
"I never thought I would see this day," he said. "It seems that my eternal life is coming to an end. It's just as well. You stupid humans will eventually destroy yourselves anyway. But before I go, know this Ryu. All humans are naturally evil. To deny that, is to deny what you really are."  
  
"You're wrong, Bison. Goodness does exist."  
  
"Defend yourself all you want. It won't save your from the truth. But you are not the one who will bring about my destruction. You see, there is someone else with us. He has been watching since the beginning of our fight. I have lived by evil...and I will die by evil."  
  
A shadowy figure appeared from behind Bison. A bright, white light covered the entire area. From within the light Ryu could hear Bison's painful screams. At last, the light faded away. Bison's entire body was covered in blood. All of his bones were broken. After a moment, his body broke up into small, purple particles of energy and floated away.  
  
Standing before Ryu now, was the Raging Demon. The Supreme Master of Fists. Akuma.  
  
The forces of good and evil have struggled against each other since the dawn of time. On this day, we shall see which will conquer over the other. 


	12. The Fight is All

The Fight is All  
  
Akuma walked forward. His footsteps sounded like thunder. Every time he took a step the grass around his feet would turn brown and die. Bison's blood continued to drip down his fingertips.  
  
"So Ryu, it appears you have finally unleashed your true power," boomed his deep, demonic voice. "Or should I call you Sheng Long?"  
  
"It doesn't mattter. Names are unimportant," Ryu said.  
  
"That's what I expected you to say. You have no idea how long I've waited for this battle. I must admit, I was surprised by how easily you defeated Bison."  
  
"Bison was nothing more than a madman with lots of power. He had no idea how to use it properly. Not like you and I."  
  
"I agree. This fight will prove once and for all who is the greatest warrior to ever exist. I will finally solidify my status as the master of fists."  
  
"You seem to forget that I am the one who created this style in the first place."  
  
"Perhaps. But I have surpassed you in every way possible. I have overcome all human weaknesses. There has never been anything like what I have become."  
  
"If you are so confident, then what do you plan to do after this fight?"  
  
"I will do what I have always done. I will continue to fight and kill. I will destroy everything until there is nothing left to destroy. And then, if necessary, I will journey to other realms to continue my destruction. A valley of fire. A river of blood. A mountain of corpes. These are the things that I envision for the future."  
  
Ryu slammed his foot down and went into his hadoken stance. Energy began to gather in his palms. "That's enough talk. It's time for our battle to begin."  
  
Akuma cupped his hands together and formed a powerful ball of hado. "As you wish."  
  
"Raaah!"  
  
"Hmph!"  
  
Both men simutaneously fired a huge beam of hado energy at each other. The two energies crashed head-on. Electricity crackled over their bodies as they struggled to control their attacks. Neither technique was able to gain an advantage over the other. At last the energies built to a climax and produced a massive explosion that swallowed both fighters. Their final battle had begun just as their first battle had ended.  
  
The smoke cleared, revealing both fighters standing in their fighting positions completely unscratched. Akuma's shirt and beads had been destroyed in the blast. Both fighters slowly shuffled their feet closer to each other. They were now standing at arm's length. They stood completely still, waiting for the other to attack.  
  
Finally, Akuma made the first attack. He threw two punches at Ryu's head, both of which were blocked. He fired a kick to the side. Ryu blocked it. Then, Akuma spun around and tried to sweep Ryu off his feet. Ryu hopped back to avoid the attack. Akuma rushed forward and began a seemingly endless combination of punches and kicks. Blocking these attacks would break a normal man's arms, but Ryu remained focused and held his inpenetrable defense.  
  
Ryu parried one of Akuma's punches and threw a straight punch of his own to his stomach. At the last possible second, Akuma blocked it and did a spinning kick. Ryu ducked and threw an uppercut. Akuma blocked it with both arms and shoved him away. As soon as Ryu regained his balance, he hopped forward with a spinning kick. Akuma ducked and fired two lightning fast punches. Ryu blocked both. Then, both men threw a punch at the same time. Their fists clashed, causing a huge shockwave that destroyed all the trees in the area.  
  
Akuma jumped up and swung his leg at Ryu's head. Ryu blocked it, spun around, and threw a sidekick to his stomach. Then he threw a roundkick to the head. Akuma blocked blocked both attacks and brought his hand down to chop his neck. Ryu blocked it and threw a punch to his stomach. Akuma lifted his knee and blocked it with his leg. Then, the two fighters both threw a forearm strike at each other. Once again their arms clashed, producing a massive shockwave.  
  
Akuma then threw a kick to Ryu's leg, forcing him to one knee. He followed it with a punch to the face. Ryu grabbed his fist, then stood up and threw his own punch. Akuma grabbed his punch in midair. The two opened their fists and clasped hands in a test of strength. Energy crackled on their bodies as they fought for control. The ground cracked and the wind blew fiercly in response to the tremendous power they were unleashing.  
  
Then an amazing phenomenon happened. The ground underneath them began to rise. A giant pillar of earth ascended into the sky with the two warriors battling for leverage on top of it. It was as if the angels themselves wanted a closer look at this fight.  
  
Finally, Akuma won the test of strength and twisted Ryu's wrists upwards. Ryu let out a painful cry. Then Akuma hit him with three headbutts. Ryu went down to one knee with his forehead bleeding. Akuma shot his knee up and busted Ryu's lip. Ryu went back to his feet. Akuma punched him twice in the face. He then jumped up, spun around, and sent a sidekick into his chest.  
  
Ryu fell to his back and slid to the edge of the pillar. Akuma leaped high into the air and fell toward him with his knee. Ryu quickly rolled out of the way. Akuma landed with a thud, leaving a large crack in the ground. As he stood up, Ryu charged toward him and punched him in the face. He followed it with three uppercuts to the stomach and finished with a spinning kick to the head. The last kick was enough to knock him off the edge.  
  
Before he could fall, Akuma performed a somersault in midair and did a hurricane kick. Ryu blocked the kicks as Akuma made his way back to the center of the platform. But his attacks were too strong. Ryu's arms were eventually knocked out of the way by the barrage of kicks. The final kick hit him across the face and put him on his back.  
  
Akuma raised his foot above his head and attempted to chop it down on Ryu's fallen body. Ryu rolled out of the way and sweeped him as he stood up. Then he sat down on Akuma's stomach and started pounding him in the face with his fists. After landing several punches, Akuma blocked one of them and gave him a headbutt. Then he lifted him off his body and kicked him in the stomach with both feet. Ryu was sent flying through the air and landed near the edge of the pillar.  
  
Ryu stood up to see Akuma dashing toward him. He immediately bent over as Akuma ran into him and lifted him over his shoulder. Before Ryu could react, he felt something grab his ankle. He looked down and saw Akuma holding onto him while dangling off the edge. He pulled Ryu off his feet and tried to drag him off the platform. Ryu grabbed the edge before he fell off.  
  
Both men were now hanging off the edge. Akuma started punching him in the side, trying to get him to let go. Ryu elbowed him in the face and kicked him in the ribs. Then he pushed himself up and rolled back to the center. Akuma launched himself into the air. Then he reached back and fired a ball of hado energy with one hand. Ryu jumped back to avoid the blast. The attack hit the middle of the pillar and split it in two. Akuma fired several more hadoken blasts as he was in the air. Ryu expertly dodjed all of them. Everytime a blast hit the ground, it broke away a piece of the pillar. What was once one giant pillar of rock, was now several smaller ones.  
  
Akuma landed and balanced himself on two of the pillars. They were too small to stand on one. Him and Ryu were now standing several yards apart. Ryu threw a hadoken blast at him. Akuma moved to the side like shadow to avoid it. He appeared behind Ryu and hit him in the back of the head with his elbow. Ryu fell forward and grabbed two pillars to keep himself from falling down to the earth below. He was now balancing himself on four pillars. Akuma stomped his foot in the middle of his back. He continued pressing down, trying to make Ryu fall off. Ryu struggled to hold on. He summoned all of his strength to push himself up, against Akuma's foot. Finally, he pushed himself into the air, spun around several times, and kicked him across the face. Ryu landed and took a moment to balance himself. Akuma stumbled backwards, trying not to fall.  
  
As soon as Akuma regained his balance, he began navigating his way back toward Ryu. When he was close enough, he threw kick to his knee. Ryu hopped over the attack. When he landed he spun around and threw a sweeping kick to the legs. Akuma jumped backwards and landed many feet away. Then he leaped forward and threw a kick to Ryu's head. Ryu leaned back to avoid the attack. Akuma landed behind him. Ryu immediately punched him in the stomach. He followed with two punches to Akuma's head. Akuma blocked the attacks and chopped both hands into his neck. The attack almost made Ryu go down to his knees. Akuma punched him in the face. Then he tried to sweep Ryu off his feet. Ryu saw it coming and took a giant leap backwards.  
  
Both warriors slowly began walking towards each other. Their walks gradually accelerated until they were running. Then they both leaped high into the air and threw a kick toward one another. They bounced off each other's feet and began to land on opposite sides. But as they fell, Akuma twisted in midair and fired a hadoken. The blast hit Ryu's back. He banged his head on one of the pillars, leaving a blood stain, and fell to the ground below.  
  
Akuma ran to where Ryu had fallen. He looked down to see if he could spot him. He was too far up for even his heightened vision to see anything. Then he saw a bright, white light down below. It was almost too late when he realized what it was. He quickly leaned back to dodje the oncoming hadoken blast. When he looked back down, Ryu was right under him. Ryu delivered a dragon punch to his chin, knocking him off his feet.  
  
Akuma did a somersault and hovered in midair. Ryu was floating along with him. He threw another hadoken. Akuma passed through it like a ghost and kicked him in the stomach. He punched Ryu twice in the face. Then he threw a hadoken at near point blank range. Ryu floated to the side and just barely missed it. The blast exploded as it hit the ground, leaving a huge crater in the ground.  
  
Ryu punched him in the stomach while he was vulnerable. Then he spun around and threw a kick. Akuma once again teleported in his shadow form to avoid it. Ryu turned around in the air to see him floating behind him. He dove toward him, preparing to kick him in the chest. Akuma blocked it and gave him an uppercut to the stomach. Then he grabbed his head and sent Ryu's face into his knee. He followed it with an elbow to the back of the head.  
  
In desperation, Ryu started punching him non-stop in the stomach. He finally forced Akuma to back up a bit. Ryu then went into a hurricane kick. Each kick pounded Akuma in the face, actually making him draw blood. But as soon as the technique was finished, Akuma was no where to be found. Ryu felt a powerful energy above him. He looked straight up to see a hadoken coming down toward him. He glided back to avoid it. The blast struck the pillars that they'd been fighting on before and completely obliterated them. Ryu could feel the heat from the massive explosion.  
  
Ryu immediately turned his attention back to Akuma. He lifted himself up to his level with a dragon punch. Akuma dodjed it. Then he began thrashing Ryu with a long series of crushing punches. Then he reached back with both hands and prepared to finish him off with a powerful hadoken. As soon as it came out, Ryu lifted his hands in an attempt to defend against it. The attack pushed him several feet backwards through the air.  
  
Finally, Ryu went into a translucent form and warped behind Akuma. Then he put him into a painful sleeper hold. Akuma flew wildly through the air, trying to shake Ryu off of him. But Ryu wouldn't let go. Akuma started throwing hard elbow shots to his stomach. Ryu's grip began to loosen. Akuma then twisted in the air and hit him with a devastating palm strike to the head. Ryu fell backwards and descended all the way to the ground below.  
  
Akuma wasn't going to give him the chance to get back up. He instantly started bombarding him with one-handed hadoken blasts. Each blast crashed into Ryu's body and exploded on contact. This bombing lasted for several minutes. Finally, Akuma stopped. As the smoke cleared, he could see Ryu lying on the ground covered in blood and burns. Then Akuma dove down toward him foot-first. Akuma kick blasted him in the stomach, causing Ryu to puke blood. Akuma bounced off of him, spun through the air, and landed on the ground with a crash.  
  
Akuma casually walked toward Ryu. Ryu was lying flat on his back, still coughing up blood. Akuma was covered with sweat and catching his breath. "Very good, Ryu. You have exceeded even my highest expectations. You were able to make me feel alive once again, if only for a brief moment. But sadly, it is time for this battle to come to an end." Akuma grabbed Ryu by the neck with both hands and lifted him above his head. "Now prepare to die a million deaths in an instant."  
  
"Shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun"  
  
"Gokuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"  
  
"Satsuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The evil white light of the Shungokusatsu exploded from Akuma's body and covered the entire battlefield. But before Akuma could continue the attack, Ryu knocked his arms away and landed on his feet. Then he unleashed a brutal combination of punches and kicks. Every strike hit a vital pressure point and caused a small blue explosion upon contact. Ryu himself was performing the Shungokusatsu.  
  
The onslaught lasted at least ten minutes straight. Towards the end, Ryu struck Akuma in the sternum with his elbow. Then he punched him in the stomach with a crushing uppercut. Finally, Ryu squatted down and launched himself 100 feet into the air with the mother of all dragon punches. The attack was so powerful that it sliced the upper portion of Akuma's body in half.  
  
"SHO"  
  
"RYU"  
  
"KEN!"  
  
The white light faded away. Ryu landed several yards away. He looked back at Akuma. A giant, purple pillar light was rising out of the split in his body, into the heavens. The pillar of light widened, destroying what was left of Akuma. Then the blood red ten symbol appeared in the middle of the light.  
  
"How can this be possible? I have conquered all human weaknesses. I am the Supreme Master of Fists."  
  
Ryu held his hands in front of him and formed a powerful ball of hado energy. "Nothing is impossible, Akuma. You may have conquered all human weaknesses, but you've also lost your human strength. Now go back to hell where you came from."  
  
Ryu fired the ball of hado into the ten symbol. He could Akuma's cries of pain as the symbol swirled and disappeared. Then there was a huge explosion of white light. The blast enveloped Ryu and covered the entire battlefield.  
  
The light disappeared after a moment. Ryu slowly closed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of him as the wind blew his headband. The forces of good and evil have struggled against each other since the dawn of time. On this day, the power of good has risen victorious.  
  
***  
  
Chun Li knelt down beside her father's grave and laid a bouquet of flowers in front of it.  
  
"We did it Dad. Bison is gone. He can't hurt anyone anymore. You can rest in peace now.  
  
"Shadowloo is still out there, but it's not as powerful. It no longer has a leader. It's only a matter of time before we find the rest of its members and lock them away.  
  
"But I'm not going to give up my job. I'll continue to protect the innocent. I'm not going to allow anyone to be hurt the way we were."  
  
Tears began to fall down her face. "I promise father... this will be the last time I cry."  
  
***  
  
Cammy slowly opened her eyes and saw a white light above her. She sat up and looked around. She was wearing a white gown. It looked like she was in a hospital room.  
  
A man in a uniform came in. He seemed surprised to see her awake. "Oh. You're awake. That's a relief. You've been asleep for at least three days. We were afraid you wouldn't wake up."  
  
Cammy reached up and grabbed her head. "Where am I? How did I get here?"  
  
The man sat down next her. "Well, you're at the main headquarters of the M-12 British special forces. How you got here is something I can't really answer. We found you a few days ago, lying on our steps unconscious in the middle of the night. Would you mind telling me your name?"  
  
Cammy squinted her eyes in thought. "My name... is... Cammy... Cammy White."  
  
"Cammy White, eh? That's a very nasty looking scar you have on your cheek. Where did you get it?"  
  
She lowered her hand and stroked the scar. "I... I don't remember. I don't remember anything."  
  
***  
  
It was raining. Guile sat alone in his jeep as he stared at the house across the street.  
  
'It's been so long,' he thought. 'How can I possibly make up for so many years? What if they don't want to see me? What if they don't even recognize me?'  
  
Guile opened his jeep and stepped outside into the rain. 'I guess I'll never know unless I try.'  
  
He grabbed his dog tags and pulled them from around his neck. "I'm sorry Charlie. I can't hold on to you anymore. It's time for me to get on with my life."  
  
As Guile walked toward the house, he threw the dog tags over his shoulder. They landed in a ditch, perhaps never to be seen again. He stood on the front step of the house and nervously rang the doorbell.  
  
A blonde-haired, teenage girl opened the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw him. "D... Dad?"  
  
"Amy... you've grown so much."  
  
***  
  
Most of Shadowloo's remaining agents had been captured by Interpol. But Vega had somehow managed to escape them. He was currently standing in a dark bathroom while staring at a mirror. His precious face had been horribly disfigured in his fight against Ken.  
  
He breathing gradually became more and more rapid as he stared at his reflection in disgust. Finally, he raised his fist and punched the mirror, ignoring the pain as the broken glass dug into his knuckles.  
  
He looked down and saw his mask lying next to the mirror. He slowly reached his trembling, bleeding hand toward it and picked it up. Then he covered his face with the mask and looked back at himself in what was left of the mirror. In the darkness, all he could see were his icy, cold, blue eyes.  
  
"Ken Masters! I am going to make you suffer for what you've done me! I'll make you pay!"  
  
***  
  
Ken sat on the edge of his bed as he watched the news.  
  
"In other news tonight, the world tournament being held in Thailand was canceled last week." An image of Bison's face appeared on the screen. "The man hosting the tournament was discovered to be none other than the leader of Shadowlaw, General M. Bison. It is believed that Bison was assasinated some time after the tournament had begun. Officials say that, without Bison, Shadowlaw will no longer be a threat to world safety."  
  
The image changed to a picture of Ryu. "In related news, Street Fighting Champion Ryu, who had not been seen since his victory over the late Muy Thai kickboxer Sagat, made an appearance at the tournament. He mysteriously disappeared after the tournament was cancelled and has not been heard from since."  
  
Ken turned off the TV. Eliza crawled up behind him and hugged his neck. "It's almost time Ken. Just a few more days and we're going to be married."  
  
Ken took her hand and kissed it. "I know. Just think. Soon you're going to be Mrs. Eliza Masters."  
  
"Ken, there's something I need to tell you."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
***  
  
Sakura ran down a dark sidewalk at night. She was running as fast as her legs would carry her, as if she were running for her life.  
  
She finally stopped when she came to a small restaurant. Most of the lights were off and a closed sign hung in the window. "Oh no," she muttered to herself.  
  
Sakura started banging on the door with all her strength. "Open up! It's me, Sakura! Let me in!"  
  
An elderly man casually walked to the door and opened it. Sakura stormed inside, nearly knocking him over in the process.  
  
"I'm not late am I?"  
  
The old man looked at his watch. "Almost. You'd better hurry if you're going to make it."  
  
"Thanks Larry." Sakura ran as fast as she could to the backdoor. She opened it and saw a huge crowd of people gathered behind the restaurant. Sakura recognized many of them as people from her school. She pushed her way through the crowd. "Excuse me. Pardon me. Wait! Don't start without me!"  
  
Finally, she made her way to the center. She stopped and rested her hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.  
  
Karin Kanzuki lifted an eyebrow as she watched the person who would be her next opponent. "Really Sakura, can't you be anywhere on time?"  
  
"Just... just give me a minute and I'll be ready."  
  
"Oh, this is a waste of my time. Why are we even doing this? Everyone already knows that I'm the better fighter. You may as well just give up now and save yourself the humiliation."  
  
Sakura stood to her full height and tightened her gloves. "Everyone's tired of listening to your big mouth, Karin. You keep talking about how great you are, but you never seem to do anything about it." Sakura went into her fighting stance. "So why don't you close your mouth for once and show me what you're capable of?"  
  
A formally dressed man stepped forward from the audience. "FIGHT!"  
  
***  
  
Our story takes us to a vast desert in China. The area is devoid of any life, and for good reason. The air is extremely hot and dry. It's probably at least 110 degrees. And yet one man braves through these conditions. The sun's rays pound down on him from above, and he walks along the hot, rough sand on bare feet. With him, he carries a white duffel bag over his shoulder, which weighs over 20lbs. The dry wind occasionally blows sand into his face and causes his red headband to blow in every which direction. This man is, of course, the legendary warrior Ryu.  
  
For the first time in Ryu's life, everything makes perfect sense. There are no more doubts. There are no more unanswered questions. He has finally accepted what he is and knows what he wants.  
  
Ryu stopped and pulled a cantine from his duffel bag. He took a long drink from it and looked at the huge sunset in front of him. He smiled to himself as he admired its beauty. He looked back. All he could see was desert. His footprints seemed to stretch on forever. He looked in front of him. Again all he saw was an endless sea of sand. Then he put his cantine back and began walking once again, continuing his journey into the sunset.  
  
  
'There's nothing quite like it. Everytime I step into the ring, it's like I enter another world. I go to a place where I'm in complete control. Nothing else matters, except for me and my opponent. The crowd's maniacal yelling is like music in the background. When you have all that adrenaline pumping through your body, you barely even notice the pain that comes along with another man slamming his fist into your face. By the end of every fight, I feel like I've died and come back to life. Perhaps you could say that I'm fighting myself more than I'm fighting my opponent. I can't really explain why I like it so much. It's just something I enjoy doing. I guess sometimes you just have to see your own blood to know your alive. You may think I'm crazy, but I don't care what you think. This is my life, and I'm going to do whatever I want with it. And so I walk this lonely path on my journey to become a true warrior. My fists are my only companions. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The fight is all.'  
  
  
If it looks good, you'll see it  
If it sounds good, you'll hear it  
If it's marketed right, you'll buy it  
But if it's real...  
You'll feel it  
-Kid Rock  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
One more time for the Jes-man: Phew. I almost didn't think I was going to get done. But it's finished now and I can finally relax. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. You have no idea how much studying I did before I even started to make it as accurate as possible. Street Fighter is the first game series that I really fell in love with and pretty much started my video game obsession. This is my way of giving back to the series that gave so much to me.  
I'm sure some of you are surprised that a story this long would have zero romance, but there's a reason for that. I'm a freak when it comes to originality. My philosophy is that everything I do has to be something that's never been done before(hence the Sheng Long idea). Almost every movie, song, and story has had some kind of romance in it, sometimes to the point of it not even making any sense. Plus it's something that I just can't relate to. So therefore, I don't do it.  
If you've read this far, I'd really appreciate it if you'd send in a review, even if you've already sent one. I'd really like to know what you think of the finished product. I'm also open to any suggestions you may have. Just don't be a dumbass, okay. You'll just be giving me a reason to make fun of you the rest of your life, and that's something you DO NOT want. Of course, I'm just rambling at this point. Don't forget to send in a review. Jes has spoken. 


End file.
